US-Turkish declaration important message for Greek Cypriots- official

"This declaration is a response to the Greek Cypriot administration which thinks that it could keep Turkish Cypriots in peril forever under its cruel oppression and international economic isolations," Turgay Avci told the AA.  Â

The joint declaration issued during U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Turkey earlier this month said both countries vowed to support the settlement of the Cyprus issue under the U.N.'s auspices and the removal of the isolations on the Turkish Cypriots.

"This is a message we have been waiting for which clearly defied the idea that Turkish Cypriots would be kept under isolations for 40 years even if the negotiations would have taken that long," Avci said.