By Stuart Grudgings
Condoleezza Rice yesterday urged Cyprus to support Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union during a visit to Athens marked by violent protests.
As Ms Rice met her Greek counterpart Dora Bakoyannis and Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, riot police hurled tear gas at demonstrators trying to march to the US embassy.
Police said nine protesters were arrested in the clashes, which wrecked at least 10 central Athens shops.
No injuries were reported.
Ms Rice, on a five-day trip to Europe that also includes Turkey and Bulgaria, said work needed to be done on Cyprus's 32-year division a source of tension in Greek-Turkish relations and a major stumbling block to Turkey's EU hopes.
"We do believe that there needs to be goodwill and effort by Turkey, but there also needs to be goodwill and effort by Cyprus," Ms Rice told a news conference.
She urged Cyprus to help Turkey's EU accession and ease the isolation of the breakaway northern Cypriot enclave, which is recognised only by Ankara.
Divided since Turkey invaded in 1974, Cyprus has evaded repeated UN efforts to re-unite the island in a federation. Greek Cypriots, running the island's internationally recognised government, rejected the latest plan in a 2004 referendum.
Ms Bakoyanni said Greece had made "brave" moves to improve relations with Turkey but did not get the appropriate response.
"On the contrary, sadly, we often face provocations that are not in the spirit of good neighbourly relations or in line with Turkey's aspirations for full EU membership," she said.
Where is the "Rice urges Turkey to end Cyprus occupation"? Without one you can't get the other!
