LEFKOSA, Jan 8 (A.A) - Foreign and Defense Ministry of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) called sides which want to contribute to the new process that started in Cyprus on December 4, 2001 to avoid from making statements that contradict with the realities on the island.
TRNC Foreign and Defense Ministry reacted to the statement of EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen who said that ''EU will admit Cyprus (Greek Cypriot side) whether there is an agreement on the island or not.''
Noting that a new period started in Cyprus, the TRNC Ministry said that the statement Verheugen issued to the Deutschland Radio on January 6, 2002 was far from contributing to the new process started upon the initiative of TRNC President Rauf Denktas and that it was an unlucky statement.
''The words of Verheugen is the last example of the EU's approach which on the one hand supports reaching a compromise on the island in line with the efforts of U.N. Secretary General and which, on the other hand, says that the Greek Cypriot side could join the EU even if no agreement is reached on the island,'' it was noted.
''This message of Verheugen displays that there is a contradiction in EU's Cyprus policy,'' the TRNC Ministry said and added that EU, which accepted the unilateral and illegal application of the Greek Cypriot side to the EU in 1990 and which works on this application, negatively affects the search for a compromise on the island.
''The Turkish Cypriot side calls once again the sides which want to contribute to the new process that started in Cyprus on December 4, 2001 to avoid from making statements that contradict with the realities on the island and to accept the equal and sovereign status of Turkish Cypriot side and the reality that the Greek Cypriot side is not the only sovereign on the island,'' it was added.