Condoleezza Rice: Taking the Southern Cypriots into EU was wrong
Hurriyet, Turkey
July 7 2006
With Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul having met this week in Washington,
DC with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, as well as President
George W. Bush’s National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, observers
in Ankara agree that the US has struck a more favorable stance on
two matters in particular sensitive to Turkey:
Cyprus and Kirkuk. In the case of Northern Cyprus, for which the
US administration has pledged to help lift isolationary economic
measures currently in place, US Secretary of State Rice said during
Gul’s visit to the US capital, "Accepting Southern Cyprus into the
EU was not right. Had the Greek Cypriots not entered the EU, solving
this problem would be easier."
Gul: Cyprus matter requires patience, persistance, and the correct
approach
Gul, during a press conference in the US capital, confirmed US support
for Turkey on the question of Northern Cyprus, saying "Turkey’s stance
on this matter was understood very well by Rice, and looking at the
"Strategic Vision Document" this can be seen very clearly. We are
insistent and correct in our Cyprus views. The important thing is
to be able to explain our side of this case to the international
community. It is not enough to announce that we are right, and then
to just speak to eachother in Turkey. This matter requires patience,
persistance, and the right approach. We will continue this stance
without giving up any concessions."
On the subject of the Northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, which lies close
to Turkey’s southern borders, Rice told Gul that the US had warned
Kurdish groups in the region, and that if necessary, the United
Nations could be involved in delivering these warnings.
One more subject that was raised during talks between Gul and Rice was
that of the so-called Armenian genocide, a matter which has been at
the forefront of recent international movement. Gul thanked Rice for
preventing Armenian lobbies from being able to pass legal decisions
against Turkey in the US Congress, and noted "For such a law to pass
through Congress would hurt US-Turkish relations."