ISTANBUL - Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul has said, ''finding a fair and lasting solution to the Cyprus question entails good-will and will of all relevant sides.'' in a symposium held at Istanbul's Kadir Has University.
Sending a message on Thursday to the symposium on ''How will Cyprus' Membership to the EU Affect Turkey-the EU Relations?'', Gul said, ''on numerous occasions, Turkey drew attention of the international community to inconveniences of the Greek Cypriot side's accession to the European Union (EU) on behalf of whole Cyprus without finding a solution to the Cyprus issue. We hope that the negotiation process aiming to find a fair and lasting solution to the Cyprus issue will come to a conclusion successfully till May 1, 2004, and both sides will become full member of the EU.''
''We believe that we all should exert efforts and support these efforts for the success of the negotiation process instead of concentrating on negativities that may stem from a likely failure. Our government has encouraged from the very beginning resumption of the negotiation process to reach a fair and lasting solution that will guarantee rights and security of Turkish Cypriot people by taking into consideration that insolubility is not a solution. Any insolubility will be beneficial neither for Turkey nor for Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). A fair, lasting and legal solution will be beneficial for both sides in the island. Such a solution will inevitably have positive impacts on Turkey-EU relations and Turkey-Greece relations. Also, it will make a significant contribution to peace, stability and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean Region,'' he said.
Stressing that finding a fair and lasting solution to the Cyprus question entailed good-will and will of all relevant sides, Gul said, ''however, the attitude of the Greek Cypriot side so far has given rise to our suspicions about its sincerity. The Greek Cypriot side's displaying the necessary will for a solution to be reached till May 1, and its assuming a more constructive and compromising attitude are of great importance in regard to success of the negotiation process.''
''Approval of a solution at any cost is totally impossible. A solution should protect indispensable rights of Turkish Cypriots, preserve Turkish-Greek balance, and include guarantees to prevent pre-1974 conditions in the island. Under efforts to find a fair and lasting solution to the Cyprus issue, Turkey will continue extending support to TRNC and to efforts of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan under his good-will mission,'' Gul added.
(UK-AÖ) 18.03.2004