TURKISH MINISTER SAYS SOME USING CYPRUS PROBLEM TO HAMPER TURKEY’S EU PROCESS

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Feb 9 2007

Text of report in English by Turkish news agency Anatolia

New York, 9 February: "Annan Plan is the plan of the UN and it was
supported by UN Security Council, as well as the EU," said Turkish
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who took the floor at think tank
organization Council of Foreign Relations in New York on Friday
[9 February].

"If Greek Cypriots had accepted the plan, today there would not be
Turkish soldiers in the island," he added.

Upon a question about Cyprus within the scope of Turkey-EU relations,
Gul said, "Some EU countries are using Cyprus problem as an excuse
artificially during Turkey’s EU negotiation process." He recalled
that Turkish Cypriots – by accepting Annan Plan – proved their good
will but Greek Cypriots voted against the plan.

Gul said that Greek Cypriot administration joined EU in a way against
valid agreements and principles in the island. "Greek Cypriots carried
Cyprus problem to the EU," he stressed.

Gul said, "There are two separate societies, religions and democracy
in the island. We support a comprehensive solution for the Cyprus
question."

Article 301 and Hrant Dink

Upon a question about murder of Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and
whether Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code (TCK) will be lifted,
Gul said, "We have wanted to amend Article 301 for a long time.

Government had launched initiatives a long time before murder of
Dink. These activities are still continuing. I want this article to
be amended because it overshadows our reform process."

Noting that other countries – just because of this article – think that
there is no freedom of expression in Turkey and people are imprisoned
because of their thoughts, Gul said that Turkey does not deserve such
an image and it wants to change this.

"In fact, Turkey took this article from laws of EU countries but we
had some difficulties while implementing the article," he added.