[01] Turkish stand on appointment of Italian diplomat as EU envoy on Cyprus.

[02] Turkish Cypriots believe EU representative cannot help.

[03] Turkish Cypriot contacts in Brussels.

NEWS ITEMS

[01] Turkish stand on appointment of Italian diplomat as EU envoy on Cyprus.

Yusuf Kanli writes in "Turkish Daily News" 31.1.96 that "intense silent diplomacy exercised by Turkish and Turkish Cypriot officials acting in coordination, succeeded at last to strike a compromise deal with the European Union. Taking into consideration the objections of the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot side, the European Union foreign ministers appointed veteran Italian diplomat Fredrico Di Roberta to go to Cyprus on a fact finding mission. He will have to report on the developments in the situation in Cyprus to the Italian Presidency as well as to the following Irish Presidency of the European Union. The decision fell short of the Greek and Greek Cypriot demand for the appointment of a European "special coordinator" for the island."

According to the paper, Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash said that this decision was "obviously" not the one the Greek Cypriots and Athens were expecting.

Yusuf Kanli adds: "Denktash said the appointment of a "term presidency special envoy" for Cyprus, rather than a coordinator, could be taken as a demonstration of the EU's determination to see a political settlement of the Cyprus problem. Adamantly against the creation of a European "institutional link" with the Cyprus problem, Ankara and the "TRNC" have been trying on and off since 1993 to convince the European Union that an appointment of a "special coordinator" for Cyprus would not be helpful to efforts aimed at finding a settlement to the Cyprus problem.

Saying that the UN remains the "best platform" for Cyprus talks, Ankara and the TRNC were trying to convince the EU that as Greece was a member of the Union and Turkey only an "associate member", credibility of any European envoy, irrespective of nationality, would be under serious contention."

[02] Turkish Cypriots believe EU representative cannot help

According to illegal Bayrak radio (31.1.96) the "TRNC Foreign Ministry" has said that the special representative attached to the EU term chairman's office cannot contribute to the efforts for a solution of the Cyprus problem.

A written statement issued by the "Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defense" says that the efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus problem were conducted until today within the framework of the UN Secretary General's goodwill mission and between the leaders of the two communities. It is recalled in the statement that the Turkish Cypriot side is opposed to negotiations outside this framework. The statement says: It is obvious that a lasting and just solution can only be found by respecting the principle of equality between the two sides.

The "Foreign Ministry" statement says that the Greek Cypriots are trying to carry the negotiation process to other platforms and shun direct negotiations. It adds that the negotiation process reached a dead-end when the Greek Cypriots unilaterally tried to join the EU and posed certain preconditions regarding this issue.

The statement says that if the EU wants to help solve the Cyprus problem, it must stop supporting the Greek Cypriot side, and must respect the legal and political equality of the two sides. It says that so long as discriminatory acts continue, such as the EU Court of Justice rulings, the Turkish Cypriots cannot trust the impartiality of the EU. It also recalls that according to the 1960 partnership agreement, Cyprus cannot become member of an organization of which Turkey and Greece are not both members.

[03] Turkish Cypriot contacts in Brussels

KIBRIS's (1.2.96) London correspondent Serhat Incirli, who accompanied the Turkish Cypriot team of "Turkish Cypriot Forum for European Union" to cover the team's contacts in Brussels with the EU officials and EU Parliamentarians, reports that EU officials are firm in their view that Cyprus should become member of the EU.

Incirli says that the EU officials who had met with the seven-member Turkish Cypriot delegation, said that they want Cyprus to join as a whole, after a settlement has been reached by the leaders of the two communities under the auspices of the UN Secretary General.

Incirli reports that Mr. Serge Abou, the Chief of the EU North Mediterranean Desk, said to the delegation that Cyprus should in no way become a subject for bargaining in their dealings with Turkey.

During the meeting Serge Abou referred to the EU Court of Justice decision to ban imports to EU members from the occupied area, and said that the political wing of the EU did not agree with the Court's decision. Abou said that the EU did not want an embargo to be imposed on the occupied area but judges in the Court "thought otherwise". "The judges are not obliged to follow the report prepared by the EU's political wing", said Abou.

Dutch Parliamentarian Jan Bertens said that Turkey promised it will not create any problem in the process towards finding a solution to the Cyprus issue.

The spokesman for the delegation expressed satisfaction with the contacts in Brussels.