Foreign Minister Huseyin Ozgurgun of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus said on Friday that recent report of the European Parliament on Turkey was written up with an approach lacking balance.
In a written statement, Ozgurgun said, "In the recent Turkey report of the EP, the paragraphs regarding Cyprus were written up with an approach lacking balance. The report was written as if it acts as the lawyer of Greek Cypriot party. Such a biased decision of the EP casts a serious shadow on reliability and esteem of this institution."
Ozgurgun said EP, in its session dated on March 9, 2011, once again produced unfair decision regarding Turkey’s EU membership process.
"European Parliament tried to lay the burden of Cyprus question, which could not be solved for years because of intransigent stance of Greek Cypriot party, on Turkey. When we take into consideration the constructive and resolved stance Turkey assumed on Cyprus issue so far, we see that those who have written up the report were far from being objective," Ozgurgun said.
"Although the sincere and constructive stance of Turkey and TRNC displayed for solution of Cyprus question is known by all parties, it is unacceptable that EP in its decision called on the troops to be withdrawn from the island soon.
"Asking for withdrawal of Turkish Peace Forces from the island before resolution of the question is equal to offering endangering security and future of Turkish Cypriots. Such a step will not make any positive contribution to negotiation process and on the contrary, it will encourage Greek Cypriot party on the way to intransigency," he noted.
Ozgurgun said reference in the report to Resolution no:550 of the Security Council, including closed Maras issue, was an open interference initiative on ongoing negotiation process, noting it was not possible to accept it.
Ozgurgun said, "the decision also includes a misleading claim regarding the works of Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus that excavations in military zones were not permitted. However, all the related parties know very well that excavations were carried out in military zones for a long time."
"Although blockade on Turkish Cypriots is still underway, no expression has taken place on the matter in the decision and this is an indication of insincerity of EP. It is not possible for Turkish Cypriot people to show esteem to the views of European Parliament and European Union which have not yet fulfilled their commitments to Turkish Cypriot party," he said.
European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the progress of Turkey with the support of a large majority of MEPs on Wednesday.
The European Parliament called on the Turkish government to facilitate a suitable climate for negotiations by starting to withdraw its forces from Cyprus immediately, and encouraged Turkey to intensify its support for the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus, in particular by facilitating its access to military zones and archives.
The parliament also called on Turkey and the Turkish-Cypriot authorities to refrain from any new settlements of Turkish citizens on the island, as this would continue to change its demographic balance and reduce the allegiance of its citizens to a future common state based on its common past.
It also called on the Turkish Government and all parties concerned to give their active support to the ongoing negotiations on the Cyprus issue and to contribute in concrete terms to a comprehensive settlement.