COLOGNE - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has said about results of Saturday`s twin referendums in Cyprus that it had been thought so far that Turkey was responsible for prevention of unification of Cyprus.
The Turkish-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry established jointly by the Union of Turkish Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) and the Union of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Cologne was inaugurated by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Schroeder on Tuesday.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Schroeder said that Prime Minister Erdogan told him during his visit to Turkey that prevention of unification of Cyprus could not stem from Turkey.
Noting that it had been thought so far that Turkey was responsible for prevention of unification of Cyprus, German Chancellor Schroeder expressed his regret over rejection of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan`s plan by the Greek Cypriot side, and stressed that the world should appreciate policies of the Turkish side.
German Chancellor Schroeder said that Turkish people could rely on Germany.
Stressing that the support was not a mutual gesture of friendship, Schroeder said that the politics depended on interests.
Recalling that they had common interests, German Chancellor Schroeder said that the project was of great importance in regard to security of both the EU and Germany.
He said that Turkey was of great economic importance for the EU because of its young population.
Schroeder stressed that the EU should keep its promises after Turkey fulfilled the Copenhagen political criteria.
German Chancellor Schroeder highlighted importance of Turkey in regard to security of the EU.
Referring to recent developments in Iraq, Schroeder said that provision of stability in Iraq would be beneficial for everyone.
Schroeder added that Turkish companies in Germany employed nearly 350 thousand people including Germans and had an annual sale of about 30 billion euros.
(UK-AY) 27.04.2004