MEPs: Greek Cypriot entry was a mistake
Monday, May 30, 2005
DIPLOMACY
ANKARA – Turkish Daily News
A European parliamentary delegation led by Joost Lagendijk,
co-chairperson of the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission, said
the European Union made a “mistake” by accepting the Greek Cypriots
in May of last year for membership as representing the entire island
without having first reached a resolution on the Cyprus dispute.
The delegation, in an internal report written following talks on
both the Turkish and Greek sides of the divided island in April,
said Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos has been engaged in
politics that do not aim to reach a resolution to the Cyprus dispute
but instead which are intended to pressure Turkey into recognizing
the Greek Cypriot government, using EU membership as a tool.
“The EU, by keeping the promises it once gave the Turkish Cypriots,
should rescue this [Turkish] part of the island from isolation,” the
report signed by Lagendijk said, at the same time urging the bloc to
abandon policies encouraging the Greek Cypriots.
Giving Turkish Cypriot students opportunities in EU education
programs and the participation of Turkish Cypriot parliamentarians
in European Parliament sessions under the status of “observer” are
among suggestions of the delegation to the EU.