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Cyprus President: Turkey's obligation to achieve Cyprus settlement secured

Nicosia, Oct 6 (CNA) -- The Cyprus government has secured the obligation of Turkey to continue being committed to the achievement of a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, within the UN framework, and according to the principles on which the EU was founded, Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos has said.

In an opening statement during a televised interview tonight, Papadopoulos said that ''if Turkey refuses to implement its obligations towards the Republic of Cyprus (an EU member-state) then it will face serious problems during its membership talks.''

He stressed that ''our firm goal is a Cyprus settlement that will put an end to the (Turkish) ccupation and safeguard the interests of the people of Cyprus as a whole.''

Papadopoulos said that ''as referred in the Negotiating Framework and the EU Counterstatement to Turkey of September 21, this solution must be in line with the UN resolutions and the principles on which the EU was founded.''

He thanked the Greek government ''for its steadfast and active support to our effort,'' adding that ''the positive stance of our EU partners, without the help of which we would not achieve our goals in the negotiating framework must be appreciated.''

Papadopoulos noted that ''many things have been said and many analyses have been made as regards the agreement on the start of Turkey's EU accession negotiations and the framework in which they will be conducted.''

The Cypriot President said that in an effort to reach a Cyprus settlement ''we took initiatives and submitted to the UN Secretary General the amendments we pursue in the Annan Plan.''

''Our position is that despite the intransigent position of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side, the Secretary General must not abandon his efforts, on the contrary he must go on with them at the pace and the way he himself decides, with a view to create the necessary preconditions for the resumption of the talks with the prospect of an agreement the soonest possible.''

Papadopoulos said the UN Secretary General agreed with this position during their meeting last month in New York.

He added that ''to achieve a settlement we have planned and implement with determination a strategy with interim stop-overs and realistic targets.''

Papadopoulos said that the launch of Turkey's EU membership talks was not and could not be related with the detailed parameters of a Cyprus settlement.

''Despite this fact,'' he added, ''we secured Turkey's obligation to continue being committed to the achievement of a comprehensive Cyprus settlement within the UN framework and according to the principles on which the Union was founded, including actions for the creation of a favourable climate and the normalisation of its relations with the Cyprus Republic.''

''Normalisation of relations means the end of repercussions from the (Turkish) invasion and occupation, such as withdrawal of Turkish troops and colonist settlers, termination of the illegal exploitation of Greek Cypriot properties and full respect of human rights,'' he noted.

President Papadopoulos said that ''Turkey signed the Protocol extending the Customs Union undertaking the obligation to implement it. Additional specific obligations of Turkey towards the Republic of Cyprus have been included in the Negotiating Framework.''

He noted that ''according to the opinion of the EU Legal Service, the start of membership talks is a de facto recognition of the Republic of Cyprus, since it constitutes a fundamental component of Turkey's accession course.''

''Turkey is obliged to recognise even de jure the Republic of Cyprus during its accession course,'' he added, noting that ''if Turkey refuses to implement its obligations towards the Republic of Cyprus then it will face serious problems during its membership negotiations.''

He noted that the first evaluation of Turkey's obligations will take place in 2006.

Papadopoulos said that in order to achieve all these the Cyprus government acted on the basis of three axes: The enhancement of Cyprus' political position and influence within the EU, the reestablishment of the need for a Cyprus settlement, which had flagged after the referendum, with the acceptance that the justified Greek Cypriots concerns must be met, and the maintenance of Turkey's EU bid with certain binding obligations serving the prospect of a Cyprus settlement.

''We built alliances, we gained support for our positions from the vast majority of our partners,'' he said, adding that the government handls developments with responsibility and stability.

He said that the sole goal of his decisions was, is and will be how to serve the interest of the country and its people.

''I would not be a responsible leader, if I sacrificed prospects for a Cyprus settlement for temporary slogans, without substantive or practical meaning,'' he added.

Papadopoulos said that ''we are among those who control Turkey's European course,'' pledging to ''continue our struggle until the end of the occupation and the vindication of our homeland for the interest of the people, as a whole, within the framework of a bizonal, bicommunal federation.''

Noting that ''the course will be difficult,'' Papadopoulos expressed optimism that its outcome ''will be the one we all desire.''

By Mary Antonescu - mary@cyprus4properties.com

Tel: +357-7777-7067, +357-22-760051 / Mob: +357-99-686618 / Fax: +357-25-326477 / E-mail : info@cyprus4properties.com

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