GOVERNMENT Spokesman George Lillikas said yesterday the government warmly welcomed the decision by the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the European Union (COREPER) to unblock aid worth 139 million euros to the Turkish Cypriots.
“This decision has once and for all ended the myth of the so-called isolation of the Turkish Cypriots,” he said. “The ball in now in the court of the Turkish Cypriot side to open Famagusta port as initially agreed. The aim of COREPER is to enhance co-operation between the two communities of the island and create a better climate so as to increase the chance of resumption of talks for a settlement on the Cyprus problem.”
Yesterday, Turkey called for action to open trade. “The genuine step Turkey expects is direct trade together with the financial aid,” state-run Anatolian news agency quoted Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as saying.
“This unilateral decision by the EU will bring new problems and difficulties.”
The government had initially blocked the allocation of aid to the Turkish Cypriots because the issue was being linked to direct trade for the Turkish Cypriots.
However, in a whirlwind meeting on Friday evening, the issues of trade and aid were unlinked, and the government lifted its objections to the allocation of the EU funds.
Lillikas added the Turkish Cypriots would only get half the aid, because they wasted the chance of getting the whole sum through their insistence on linking the assistance with direct trade.
Responding to comments by Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat that the aid was not sufficient enough to help the Turkish Cypriots, Lillikas said he didn’t find his comments surprising, adding that the Turkish Cypriot leader had now intention of moving forward with regards to a settlement on the Cyprus problem.
They give them money and they complain?
Were is the the "Thank you"? 
