Cyprus-Forum.com

[brother]

Gul: we’ll follow our own path on Cyprus
By Sofia Kannas and Simon Bahceli


TURKEY will follow its own policy on Cyprus, after discussing the issue with Turkish Cypriot politicians, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday.

Speaking on Turkish television, Gul said the Cyprus problem was one of the main problems for Turkey in the run up to the European Summit on December 17, when member states decide whether to open entry talks with Ankara.

“We are following a strategy on the Cyprus problem. We know what we are going to do. Ankara will evaluate the situation and within these parameters we will invite the leaders from Cyprus to discuss the issue,” Gul said.

“Mr Erdogan agrees with the idea of inviting Turkish Cypriot political leaders and discussing and evaluating with them the situation and the developments with regard to this issue so far.”

The Foreign Minister said he had explained Ankara’s position to his counterparts in nine EU member states and had a positive response: “I feel that these countries will support us,” he said.
Gul stressed that Turkey had showed good will in trying to solve the Cyprus problem and it was time for “others to take the initiative.”

According to unconfirmed reports, it is likely Turkish Cypriot leaders Rauf Denktash and Mehmet Ali Talat will be invited to join a meeting of key political and military officials in Ankara on Tuesday.

Turkish Cypriot ‘Deputy Prime Minister’ Serdar Denktash told the Cyprus Mail his side had not received an official invite yet “but we have been expecting an invitation. We’ve been asking for meetings with the Turkish government for the last ten days or so but the Turkish Prime Minister has been very busy.”

A spokesman for Talat said: “It is certain Talat will be going to Turkey before December 17 but when exactly is not yet known.”