LONDON - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said on Wednesday that isolation of Turkish Cypriots would end step by step.
Talat, who is in London as the official guest of British Secretary of Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jack Straw, told a press conference that he would ask Britain's assistance to end isolation of Turkish Cypriots.
Turkish Cypriots managed to put an end to the belief that they favored the status quo, Talat stated.
Talat said that the results of April 24th simultaneous referenda proved that Turkish Cypriots were not separatist and noted, ''Turkish Cypriots have fulfilled their responsibilities to join the EU (European Union) as a whole, and kept their promise. On the other hand, the Greek Cypriot side is trying to continue isolation of Turkish Cypriots. This is not fair.''
Noting that he did not expect any concrete result from his meeting with Straw, Talat said, ''but, isolation will end step by step. I will express our demands. The first step can be taken in free trade.''
Talat stated that steps aiming to end TRNC's isolation could continue with direct flights and end of sportive and cultural isolation.
TRNC Prime Minister Talat said that he would ask for Straw's support to attract foreign investors to TRNC.
Talat emphasized that it would be wrong to expect that 40-year isolation could end immediately, and said, ''we need time. But, we are trying to speed up the process as much as possible.''
TRNC Prime Minister Talat said that TRNC did not think it was right to renegotiate United Nations (UN) Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.
Criticizing attitude of Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos, Talat said that Papadopoulos started to put forth demands regarding exercises at the border and soldiers in the city walls of Lefkosa in order to attract attention of his people to other issues.
Accusing Papadopoulos of preventing the solution of the Cyprus issue, Talat noted that such behaviors of Papadopoulos should not be taken seriously and stated that TRNC would start to see the first steps aiming at end of their isolation soon.
Talat said that Turkish Cypriots did not give up their mission of solution and stated that the solution was still their most important target.
TRNC Prime Minister Talat, who arrived in London earlier in the day, will meet with Turkish Cypriots living in London later in the day.
Talat is expected to meet with Straw and have some meetings at the parliament on Thursday.
Turkish Cypriots voted in favor of Annan plan while the Greek Cypriots rejected it in the simultaneous referenda held in the island on April 24.
Turkish Cypriot people want the international community to end their isolation and lift embargoes imposed on TRNC as they accepted the Annan plan in the separate referenda.
(BRC) 30.06.2004