Northern Cyprus P.M.: Transferring Gazimagusa Port To E.U. Is Out Of Question

LEFKOSA - Transferring the Gazimagusa port to the European Union (EU) was out of question, Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Monday.
Talat, who returned to TRNC after meeting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, denied Greek Cypriot press reports saying that Gazimagusa port would be transferred to the EU.
TRNC PM Talat said, ''transferring this port to the EU is out of question. But, if we are to make free trade and export our goods to EU member states, our port should have a certain technical and administrative capacity as a requirement of EU rules. There is need for high-qualified and accredited experts who can undertake health and customs transactions at this port for exports to the EU. This expert team can be charged by the EU. But, this doesn't mean that the port will be run by the EU. Anyway, the EU doesn't have such a demand. Moreover, there isn't any port operated by the EU anywhere in the world. EU is not an organization that operates ports. But, as I have said, a certain team can be deployed there for a certain goal. This is what we have been saying and accepting.''

-ISSUE OF CUSTOMS UNION WITH GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE-

Talat said that it was Turkey who would decide whether or not to accept the Greek Cypriot side to the Customs Union, and noted that TRNC had notified its views about the issue to Turkey in written form.
Stating that he assessed the issue with Erdogan, Talat went on saying, ''moreover, having Customs Union with the Greek Cypriot side will mean liberalization of trade and economic activities. As Turkish Cypriots, it is also our demand to liberalize economic activities in the end. We should take up and assess all this mechanism together. On one hand, the Greek Cypriot side will join the Customs Union with Turkey, on the other hand, we have a similar implementation, but it's not Customs Union. Dilemma between these two should be solved. And, so the issue should be handled as a whole. I think this issue will be discussed by the EU at the end of August or beginning of September. We will work on the issue in detail in coming days.''

-MEETING WITH ERDOGAN-

Erdogan noted that he assessed with Erdogan not only Turkey's EU membership bid, but possible developments regarding TRNC's direct relations with the EU, recent developments regarding Cyprus problem, TRNC's relations with the Greek Cypriot side, and its relations with Turkey.
(BRC-AÖ) 16.08.2004