Talat: We've Proposed To Give Maras In Return Of Lifting Of Isolations And Opening Of Ports

LEFKOSA - TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat said on Monday that his administration proposed Greek Cypriots to relinquish its rights on Maras in return of lifting of the isolation and opening of the TRNC ports --i.e. the withdrawal of Greek Cypriot decision saying that Turkish Cypriot airports and ports are closed--, but Greek Cypriots strongly rejected this proposal.
Speaking in a news conference, Talat said that Turkish and Greek Cypriots sides held talks in Brussels, but the talks collapsed as the Greek Cypriot side definitely rejected direct trade. ''So it has been clearly seen that Greek Cypriot's desire to get Maras is not a very realistic and serious one, and also they are against direct trade whatever is given in return,'' Talat said.
''The talks were held to discuss the EU's promise to lift the isolation of Turkish Cypriots and the conditions put forward by the Greek Cypriots'' Talat said adding, ''Turkish Cypriots attended those talks to prove that Turkish Cypriots were always ready for talks and wanted settlement on the island.''
PAPADOPOULOS REJECTS ALL INITIATIVES TO RESUME DIALOGUE
Noting that Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos rejected all his initiatives to resume dialogue, Talat said, ''we are currently face to face with a Greek Cypriot leadership, closed to dialogue.''
Asked why Papadopoulos did not want to meet him, Talat said, ''in my opinion, he refrains from meeting me because he is legally, politically and morally weak.''
Talat noted that Turkish Cypriots are for a solution under the auspices of the UN, and hoped that the hand they had extended to the Greek Cypriot side would be grasped one day.
EXPANSION OF ANKARA AGREEMENT
Recalling that Turkey ''had announced that it would sign the additional protocol to the Ankara Agreement (which envisages adaptation of the agreement to 10 new EU member states) so that it would also cover Cyprus'', Talat said that Turkey's signing this protocol would not mean that it would recognize ''the Republic of Cyprus''; and stated that this signature was an obligation for Turkey to start entry talks with the European Union (EU).