DT. wrote:halil wrote:The TRNC Presidential Spokesman has expressed the view that the Greek Cypriot Side’s attempts to link the Cyprus Issue with Turkey’s EU accession process was one of the leading obstacles in the way of achieving progress in the ongoing negotiations process aimed at reaching a solution to the Cyprus Problem.
He warned that the continuation of such efforts will only serve to render permanent the non-solution of the Cyprus Problem.
Speaking to reporters during his weekly press briefing, the Presidential Spokesman accused the Greek Cypriot Side of trying to impose an unacceptable solution on the TC's through exerting pressure on Turkey’s EU membership bid.
He said that the Greek Cypriot National Council had convened for this very reason.
Pointing out that the Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias had sent letters to the heads of the 26 EU member states threatening to veto Turkey’s accession talks if Ankara failed to meet its obligations, the Presidential Spokesman said that news of Greek Cypriot plans to prepare a road map which would link Turkey’s accession process with the Cyprus Issue had also been leaked to the Greek Cypriot press.
Ercakica said that best response to the Greek Cypriot efforts was given by the Turkish Minister of State-Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek during the 15th of November Republic Day celebrations.
“Minister Cicek’s words that if Turkey had to choose between EU membership and “remaining by the side of the Turkish Cypriots”, it would always choose the TC's, is the perfect response to such attempts” the spokesman said.
Touching upon a report published by the Associated Press that the UK was prepared to give up its guarantor rights in Cyprus, the Presidential Spokesman said that the issue of guarantees was vital for the TC's and that what was really important for them was the continuation of Turkey’s effective guarantee.
He also pointed out that the issue of guarantees was not the source of the Cyprus Problem.
Question is, who's gonna convince the Turkish public that they are better off sacrificing EU membership for 80,000 TC civil servants demanding handouts every month?
The Turkish public can relax....
Cicek’s boss has already clearly stated that Cyprus should not be preferred, located far away from Europe and with only a few hundred thousand people, compared with Turkey with 70 million people.
