Cyprus Papadopoulos Lashes Out at EU Plans for Direct Trade

insan · lecturer

Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos has threatened to take any European Union decision for direct trade with Turkish Cypriots to the European Court of Justice.

"We are against any direct trade with the illegal breakaway state, and if this is approved by the European Commission, then we will go to the court and fight it," Papadopoulos said on Tuesday after talks with Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis in Athens on the first day of a two-day visit.

The EU Commission proposed a package in July under which the EU would grant Turkish Cyprus some 259 million euros and ease restrictions on trade between EU countries and the Turkish Cypriots as a reward for their support of a U.N. plan in an April referendum to reunite the island.

The proposal would allow the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce to issue the necessary authorization for goods to be shipped directly to the EU.

"The sole aim of the EU decision is to facilitate the illegal Turkish Cypriot regime to upgrade its status, giving it all the characteristics of a state, except international recognition," Papadopoulos said.

Greek backing:

Papadopoulos also received backing from Karamanlis for some of his conditions to return to the table for a revived process for reunification of the island. The Greek premier described as “logical” Papadopoulos' theses that the process should not be linked to Oct. 3, when Turkey is slated to open accession talks with the EU, and that the United Nations should not be the final arbitrator on matters in which the Cypriot sides fail to agree.

http://www.abig.org.tr/en/template.asp?nx=0&id=9517&go=News%3ANews%3ATowards+Negotiations%3ACyprus

boulio · instructor

We are against any direct trade with the illegal breakaway state, and if this is approved by the European Commission, then we will go to the court and fight it," Papadopoulos said on Tuesday after talks with Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis in Athens on the first day of a two-day visit

and the roc will win,at the expense of the t/c because turkey and t/c leadership are playing games,take the offer to open ammohostos and its port and there will be no need for this.

-mikkie2- · lecturer

Boulio,

It will never happen. Because Ammochostos port is used by the Turkish military to re-supply their troops. They will never relinquish control of the port and hence they will not hand back Varosha either until a solution is reached.

I think what is more important is to open up more crossing points between north and south, abolish the stupidity of showing passports at the border, and for the Turks to take their fingers out of their asses and start removing mines in order to facilitate the opening of more crossing points.

The rest is all political shenanigans at the expense of both TC and GC people.

brother · professor

ahhhh....vahhhhh....will there be no end to this political stalemate that hinders our peace and prosperity.