Ankara provides UN with laundry list of Cyprus suggestions
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 24, 2006 13:10
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has said that he will reveal today in Istanbul the document in which he calls on United Nations (UN) General Secretary Kofi Annan to "move into action as the UN General Secretary in finding a solution to the Cyprus problem." Gul made this promise yesterday while flying back to Turkey from an official visit to Brazil. Tomorrow, Gul is scheduled to meet with British Foreign Minister Jack Straw at a meeting of Turkish business representatives in Istanbul.
Some of the highlights of the Ankara document sent to Annan are as follows:
*****A call for renewed efforts to work on the Annan plan for Cyprus from all sides. The Annan plan was rejected by the Greek side of the island in a referendum, but the Ankara document calls for its re-enlivening.
*****A call for the EU to bring about the promises of direct trade and aid made to Northern Cyprus prior to the Greek referendum.
*****A call for preparations to be made in order to bring about direct trade possibilities with Northern Cyprus for any country which wishes. Isolationary measures placed on Northern Cypriot ports and airports should be lifted according to this too.
*****A reassurance that, following these measures, restrictions against Greek Cypriot use of Northern Cypriot ports and airports will also be lifted.
Diplomatic timing crucial
According to diplomatic sources, both the US and England have put their full support behind this document. These same sources say that the current diplomatic atmosphere is much more in Turkey's favor than in May, 2005, when the first version of this document was sent to Annan. Upcoming visits to Turkey by high level foreign diplomats, including tomorrow's visit by FM Straw, as well as an early February visit by French FM Philippe Douste-Blazy and a mid-February visit by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, are also seen as critical in terms of the timing of the Ankara document being presented to the UN.
*****A call for renewed efforts to work on the Annan plan for Cyprus from all sides. The Annan plan was rejected by the Greek side of the island in a referendum, but the Ankara document calls for its re-enlivening.
*****A call for the EU to bring about the promises of direct trade and aid made to Northern Cyprus prior to the Greek referendum.
*****A call for preparations to be made in order to bring about direct trade possibilities with Northern Cyprus for any country which wishes. Isolationary measures placed on Northern Cypriot ports and airports should be lifted according to this too.
*****A reassurance that, following these measures, restrictions against Greek Cypriot use of Northern Cypriot ports and airports will also be lifted.
Diplomatic timing crucial
According to diplomatic sources, both the US and England have put their full support behind this document. These same sources say that the current diplomatic atmosphere is much more in Turkey's favor than in May, 2005, when the first version of this document was sent to Annan. Upcoming visits to Turkey by high level foreign diplomats, including tomorrow's visit by FM Straw, as well as an early February visit by French FM Philippe Douste-Blazy and a mid-February visit by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, are also seen as critical in terms of the timing of the Ankara document being presented to the UN.