Thursday, August 25, 2005

Financial Mirror:Cyprus wants a counter-statement to Turkey on recognition

"Cyprus wants a counter-statement to Turkey on recognition

Cyprus Minister of Foreign Affairs George Iacovou said on Wednesday that Cyprus should seek a counter-statement by the EU to Turkey’s unilateral declaration that it does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus.

Briefing the oversees Cypriots who are holding their fourteenth conference in Limassol, Iacovou said that 'we must obtain an EU counterstatement which will overturn the Turkish declaration and will not leave anything unanswered and there must be improvements of the EU-Turkey negotiating framework.'

On July 29, Turkey signed a protocol expanding the Ankara Agreement (Customs Union) to cover the Union's ten new member-states, but issued a simultaneous declaration that said it does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus.

Turkey is due to start accession negotiations on October 3 and signing the protocol was the last official hurdle."

More:Financial Mirror