Turkey to stand firm on Cyprus despite pressure from EU

NICOSIA, Cyprus -- Turkey will not grant trading privileges or open its ports to Cypriot traffic until the EU eases its sanctions on the self-proclaimed Turkish Cypriot republic, Ankara's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said on Thursday (October 4th). "No one should expect unilateral steps from Turkey,," he said, after meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat. The EU has frozen accession talks with Ankara in eight of the 35 negotiating areas because of Turkey's refusal to normalise relations with EU member Cyprus.

Separately Thursday, Greek Cypriot government spokesman Vasilis Palmas said that President Tassos Papadopoulos proposed a meeting with Talat this month, but has received no response to the invitation. The aim would be to try to implement an accord sealed in July 2006, envisioning the establishment of working groups to deal with everyday problems resulting from the division of the island. (Milliyet, Naftemporiki, Phileleftheros, Zaman - 05/10/07; AFP - 04/10/07)