WASHINGTON D.C. (A.A) - 26.06.2002 - Michael Klosson, who was appointed as Ambassador to the Greek Cypriot side by U.S. President George Bush, said on Wednesday that reaching a comprehensive solution on Cyprus would positively affect Turkey's EU membership process.
Klosson, who needs Senate approval to make their assignments acquire a decisive quality, responded questions of committee members in Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.
If the appointment is approved, Klosson will be replaced by U.S. Ambassador to the Greek Cypriot side Donald Bandler. Klosson, an expert of relations with Europe and NATO, said all the interest was on reaching a comprehensive solution on Cyprus. He said the United States believed in a ''window of opportunity'' toward the solution.
Klosson said their priority was to find a solution but that operation of Cyprus's membership to the EU was a promoting element toward solution.
Pointing out that there was not an official connection between accession of the Greek Cypriot side and Turkey to the EU, Klosson said any solution on Cyprus would increase possibility of Turkey's membership.
James Jeffrey, the Undersecretary of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara who was appointed to Albania, also responded questions about Cyprus as he worked in Turkey.
Stressing that he shared the views of Klosson, Jeffrey said any solution on Cyprus would psychologically help Turkey's accession to the EU. He said Cyprus became an issue of political dialogue between Turkey and the EU. Jeffrey said Turkey's membership to EU will develop in a low tone, adding that this was an issue of political dialogue, not a political criteria or a precondition.
Jeffrey said if an agreement could be reached on the Island toward solution, this would be a positive step toward Turkey's EU full membership.
Klosson said the United States believed that there was an ''window of opportunity'' on Cyprus question before the EU takes its decision for enlargement in December.
Klosson said the United States would do its best to support the face-to-face talks between the two leaders, ''yet'', he noted the compromise depended on the two leaders. Klosson reiterated bi-zonal bi-communal federation.
Michael Klosson said that the Cyprus talks had entered a new period when the two leaders started to hold face-to-face talks in January, recalling that Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot administration leader Glafcos Clerides had met for forty times.
They saw some proposals and some signals of felixibility during those talks and they thought there was a real opportunity of a comprehensive solution, Klosson said and noted that the two leaders were still seeking to record progress in this process.
When asked whether the EU would accept Greek Cypriot side's membership before a solution, Klosson said that it was believed that extension of support to Greek Cypriot side's EU membership would ''encourage a comprehensive solution''.
The United States' position supported Cyprus' EU membership although it was not an EU member, Klosson said and noted that membership process might encourage comprehensive solution, recalling that the EU had stated at the Helsinki Summit that solution was not a pre-condition and all relevant factors would be taken into consideration while it was taking a decision.
Responding questions about consequences of a divided Cyprus' accession to the EU, Klosson said that currently everything focused on the issue of reaching a comprehensive solution.
They believed that membership process was encouraging and enabled a solution, Klosson said and added that speculations in front of public opinion might harm the talks process.
Responding another question which said, ''what kind of an encouragement is in question for the Greek Cypriot administration regarding participation in a federation? Greek Cypriots know that they will join the EU. Is there anything that can encourage them to expend efforts for a solution and found a federation?'' Klosson said that both Denktas and Clerides were expending efforts for a solution and this was encouraging.