Cyprus Warns Turkey to Keep Hands Off Northern Cyprus

Cypriot government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou Wednesday warned Turkey to stay away from northern Cyprus, saying any attempt to annex the northern part to Turkey would signal the end of Ankara's European accession.

Papapetrou made the warning at his daily press briefing in response to recent local media reports on an alleged secret plan to incorporate the northern Cyprus into Turkey.

Turkey's application for European Union (EU) membership concerns its geographical area, without the area of the northern Cyprus, Papapetrou stressed.

He said the EU has made it clear that the solution of the Cyprus issue should be based on the U.N. resolutions and Turkey's partnership agreement refers to its obligation to contribute to a comprehensive settlement on the island.

Cyprus has been divided into the Turkish Cypriot north and the Greek Cypriot south since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied the northern third of the island in the wake of a short-lived coup in Nicosia seeking union with Athens.

Turkey has since maintained 35,000 troops in northern Cyprus, where Turkish Cypriots unilaterally declared "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" in 1983, which is recognized only by Ankara.

Turkey was granted an EU candidate status in December 1999 after Greece, a EU member and ally of Greek Cypriots, dropped its opposition. At the Nice summit last month, the EU leaders approved a partnership agreement between the EU and Turkey.

Papapetrou said the application of the Cyprus Republic to join the EU relates to the entire territory of the island, including the Turkish Cypriot area.

"We are requesting the implementation of the EU rules and regulations in the areas the government is now controlling and extension of the rule to the northern part as soon as the government regains control of these areas," he said.

Cyprus applied for EU membership in July 1990 and started substantive accession negotiations with the EU in November 1998.






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