Cyprus-Forum.com

[insan]

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat will hold talks with European Union (EU) officials in Brussels this week, expected to focus on efforts to end the 30-year division of Cyprus, Talat's office said.

Turkish Cypriot PM Talat will meet Wednesday with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn and Luxembourg's junior foreign minister Nicolas Schmit, whose country holds the EU presidency.

The Cyprus issue has been a major obstacle for Turkey's EU bid. Greece joined the EU 25 years ago and used the EU as a tool in Cyprus issue.

The Cyprus issue becam a diplomatic headache for Brussels, when last year admitted only the island's only the Greek side entered the EU. Thus all the efforts to re-unite the island failed.

The settlement plan collapsed when the Greek Cypriots voted it down at a UN-sponsored referendum, while the Turkish Cypriots gave it strong support. The EU accepted the Greek side as the only representative of island and now the Greek Cyprus do not see any interest in peace talks.

Talat's trip to Brussels comes amid growing Turkish Cypriot disappointment over the EU's failure to fulfil pledges of financial aid and ease trade restrictions on their breakaway enclave as a reward for their "yes" vote.

Turkey has said it is ready to back any fresh UN peace in Cyprus.

The island has been divided since 1974 when Turkey involved the conflicts in response to an Athens-engineered coup aimed at uniting Cyprus with Greece. The Greek Cyprus has a strong army with long-range missiles while the Turkish Cyprus relies on Turkish security guarantees.

Compiled by JTW staff from news agencies, 25 January 2005


Cyprus
2005-01-25 01:26:32



http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=2597

[brother]

I wonder what they are going to talk about