LEFKOSA - ''British government supports lifting of isolation of Turkish Cypriots,'' said Lyn Parker, the British High Commissioner in Greek Cypriot side.
Parker visited village headman Emin Gungor in Dipkarpaz region in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Tuesday.
Parker said that it was his first ever official visit to the region and he wanted to listen to the problems of residents of Dipkarpaz.
Noting, ''British government supports lifting of isolation of Turkish Cypriots,'' Parker said, ''we also want free trade to start from TRNC to Europe.''
Parker said that there were problems stemming from Greek Cypriot side regarding isolation and free trade and Greek Cypriot side tried to prevent free trade, adding that it was clear that trade issue would take long time and it could be delayed to the next year.
Parker said that after Turkish Cypriots showed their will for solution in the referendum, the implementation of proposals of the European Union (EU) continued slowly, adding that issues always continued slowly in the EU but the EU solved the problems even if it acted slowly and in the end, it reached the targets.
Cyprus issue was discussed within the EU as well and cancellation of EU-OIC meeting due to a small reason was a sign of it, Parker said and noted that everybody in EU wanted resolution of Cyprus problem as division of Cyprus caused problems within the EU as well.
Meanwhile, Emin Gungor said, ''the United Nations, the EU and the United States made pleasing promises to Turkish Cypriots after referendum. However, these promises have not been kept and Turkish Cypriots were disappointed because isolation is not lifted.''
Noting, ''Greek Cypriot side's membership to the EU on behalf of the whole Cyprus made resolution of the Cyprus issue difficult,'' Gungor said, ''contribution to resolution depends on lifting of isolation of TRNC and drawing foreign investments to the country. Start of direct flights to TRNC will also contribute to solution.''
(GC-MS) 05.10.2004