Cyprus rejects EU Commissioner’s position on occupied ports

The government disagrees with the view of the Enlargement European Commissioner that Cyprus’ Turkish occupied ports and airports can be used by ships and aircraft of third countries, even though Nicosia has declared them illegal ports of entry.
“The position of the government on the issue of the occupied ports is completely different than that which EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn has,” Government Spokesman Vassilis Palmas has said.
Palmas noted that the position of the European Council is also completely different to that expressed by Rehn.
He recalled that the European Commission was in favour of direct trade between the EU and the Turkish Cypriot community, through close ports in occupied Cyprus.
Palmas said that there is variation in the position of the European instruments and pointed out that final decisions will be taken by the European Council.
Rehn has been quoted by Cypriot MEP Marios Matsakis as saying that the Commission believes that, according to the general principles of international law, entry and exit of ships from the closed ports of Cyprus is not prohibited.