"No Cyprus troop pullout without deal-Turkish general
Tue Jan 25, 2005 01:35 PM GMT
NICOSIA (Reuters) - A top Turkish general has said Turkey would not withdraw any troops from Cyprus until a comprehensive settlement has been reached on the divided island.
Pulling back some of the 30,000 troops Turkey keeps in the northern third of Cyprus is seen as a goodwill gesture to revive a U.N. peace process to reunite the island before Turkey begins European Union accession talks in October.
However, the influential military and other parts of Turkey's conservative establishment could prove reluctant to cede ground after the last U.N.-brokered effort collapsed in April when Greek Cypriots rejected a U.N. plan in a public referendum."
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