Troops Would Have Been Reduced In Cyprus If Annan Plan Had Been Adopted, Babacan

LEFKOSA - Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said on Saturday that troops would have been reduced in Cyprus if the Greek Cypriot had adopted the Annan plan.
Babacan said troops deployed in the island was a part of the solution of Cyprus problem, and it was hard to make partial agreements or find partial settlements.
"Therefore, we are talking about a comprehensive settlement," he told Phileleftheros newspaper published in the Greek Cypriot administration.
Phileleftheros is the largest newspaper (by circulation) in the Greek Cypriot administration.
Babacan said he was optimistic about solution of Cyprus problem, but expressed some of his reservations.
Turkey and Turkish Cypriots wanted solution of the problem, and showed their determination by adopting the Annan plan, he told the newspaper.
Babacan said it was the Greek Cypriot administration who rejected the plan and no progress had been made in four years due to obstacles put forth by former Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos.
The foreign minister said that it had become more promising after Demetris Christofias was elected the Greek Cypriot leader, and reiterated that Turkey would support the settlement process as long as the two parties in the island declared their determination.
Babacan said it would be difficult to get a good result as long as one of the parties had an interest from insolvability, and told the newspaper that the Greek Cypriots were actually member of the European Union (EU) and had the right to veto every thing related with Turkey.
"The Greek Cypriots also occupy all of the seats allocated at the European Parliament for both parties in the island, and has the monopoly to represent the entire island in international world. Also they are using EU funds only for the south of the island," he said.
Babacan said one of the fundamental principles of the United Nations (UN), also accepted by the Greek Cypriots, was the political equality of the two parties.
"We are not sure that they are ready to share the EU management," he also said.
Babacan also said there were not any difference of opinion between authorities in Turkey, and Turkey always had a single opinion on every matter.
The Annan plan was a UN proposal to establish a United Cyprus Republic. It was named after then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Turkish and Greek Cypriot peoples held a referendum on the plan on April 24th, 2004. Turkish Cypriots accepted the plan, while the Greek Cypriots rejected it. Thus, the plan became null and void.
(BRC)