Ali Babacan: EU has yet to keep its promise to lift isolation on North Cyprus

The Turkish Minister of State – Chief Negotiator with the EU – Ali Babacan has pointed to the fact that the European Union has yet to fulfill its obligation towards lifting the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people.

Mr. Babacan is in Denmark as part of a tour of EU member countries to gather support to his country’s EU membership process.

Speaking at a meeting organized jointly by Politiken newspaper and the European Movement in Denmark, Mr Babacan pointed out that the Cyprus issue is an important international political dispute.

Explaining that it was Turkey which had repeatedly asked the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan to launch an initiative on the Cyprus issue, he said that the Annan Plan was prepared as a result of Ankara’s initiatives and efforts.

Referring to the process before the 2004 Referendum in Cyprus, he stated that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot people gave their full backing to the UN blue print and said that South Cyprus was unilaterally admitted to the European Union in spite of its rejection of the peace plan.

Complaining that the European Union has only been talking about the obligations Ankara has to fulfill, Mr. Babacan pointed to the fact that the EU itself, had a responsibility towards helping lift the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people.

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