Turkey Welcomes Research By U.S. Officials At Ercan Airport In N. Cyprus

ANKARA - ''We welcome research by a U.S. technical delegation at Ercan Airport in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in terms of ending isolation of Turkish Cypriots,'' said Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Namik Tan on Friday.
Upon a question at weekly news conference, Tan said, ''U.S. delegation conducted the research in line with the calls of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and international community. It is a positive development in terms of ending isolation of the TRNC.''
''This research definitely did not have any military purpose,'' added Tan.
Earlier, two officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation examined the TRNC's Ercan Airport.
Greek Cypriot administration protested this research.
(GC-MS) 22.10.2004