Implies Turkey’s supporters have “malicious intent”
Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos has accused Turkey of blocking the setting up of technical committees for discussions between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
Replying to questions at the airport, what has become his favoured venue for making significant announcements, President Papadopoulos said that in Paris, during his meeting with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, “it was agreed that committees would be set up to prepare the ground for the discussion of the fundamental issues of the Cyprus problem, as well as other matters aiming at improving the climate and dealing with routine issues.”
However, accusing Turkey of blocking progress, he said “For both the agreement of both is necessary … instead of criticising our side for the fact that the committees have not yet started work, those who are not led by malicious intent should criticise the Turkish side and make clear that so far it has not consented to the operation of the technical committees or to the appointment of the third member of the Committee for Missing Persons.”
Since the meeting on February 28th the Greek Cypriot side has been arguing that the technical discussions would involve substantial issues while the Turkish Cypriots have been at pains to deny this.
The statement issued after the meeting between Papadopoulos and the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on February 28 said “the Secretary-General was pleased to note that the leaders of both communities have agreed that bi-communal discussions on a series of issues, agreement on which are needed for the benefit of all Cypriots, will be undertaken at the technical level. The Secretary-General and President Papadopoulos expressed their common hope that these discussions would help restore trust between the two communities as well as prepare the way for the earliest full resumption of the negotiating process.”
Turkey not prepared to implement Ankara
Referring to the implementation of the Ankara Protocol, President Papadopoulos said that Turkey “not only has failed to comply so far, but provocatively at every opportunity declares on every level that it does not intend to.”
“This is an issue that will be examined, as already decided, by the Commission of the EU and later by the Council, in October or November this year,” he added.
