BRUSSELS (AA) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has quoted Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying that ''they were ready to start initiative to recognize 'Cyprus Republic', but they needed time to make majority of Turkish parliament accept it in the past.''
Berlusconi told a group of journalists in French: ''Erdogan has told me that they were ready to start initiative to recognize Cyprus, but they would need time to make the majority of Turkish parliament accept it. We have given him required time. One should recognize all members of the family if he wants to join that family. This is not a condition, but a reality.''
Noting that Austria and France did not take a step back in the working dinner, but they supported Turkey and they would do their best till morning.
Turkish diplomatic sources told A.A that Berlusconi made this statement in French which he was not very fluent so that there may be differences in the meaning. They added that ''it was out of question that Erdogan made such statements regarding Cyprus to Berlusconi.''
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2004-12-17