Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat, who departed for Brussels yesterday (26 January) for a series of meetings with EU officials, stated that promises made by the EU on 26 April 2004 to end the Turkish Cypriot side's isolation should be kept.

Pointing out that EU officials were aware of the promises they had made to the Turkish Cypriot side, Prime Minister Talat said that the EU would keep its promises.

Explaining that in Brussels he met with the EU Enlargement Commissioner, Olli Rehn, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Javier Solana and the EU term President, Luxembourg's Minister for European Affairs, Nicolas Schmit, the Prime Minister said he had been informed that the Free Trade Regulation and the Financial Assistance Regulation would soon be taken up

Speaking to the press after his meeting with the EU term President, Luxembourg's Minister for European Affairs, Nicolas Schmit, Prime Minister Talat said the Turkish Cypriots wanted a Cyprus settlement, a united Cyprus and that negotiations could soon start on this issue but, for this to happen the UN Secretary-General had to be convinced.

Pointing out that if the UN were to become involved in the Cyprus negotiation process again it was necessary to motivate the Greek Cypriot side, Prime Minister Talat said the EU also wanted this and the Cyprus negotiations could even start before the TRNC general elections on 20 February 2005 because reaching a Cyprus settlement was more important than the elections. He said that at this point it was also important to end the TRNC's isolation because they didn't want to be an obstacle in front of Turkey's EU accession process. He said the international community should also motivate the Greek Cypriot side to reach a settlement.

Meanwhile, speaking at a panel organized on the Cyprus issue by the ARI Movement and the Centre for European Policies in Brussels, Prime Minister Talat said after the 24 April 2004 referendum it was no longer possible for the Greek Cypriot side to unilaterally represent Cyprus.

After the panel, the Prime Minister also had a private meeting with the Deputy Undersecretary of the US State Department, Laura Kennedy. The Prime Minister will return to the TRNC this evening (27 January).

27-28 January, which marks the 47^th anniversary of the Turkish Cypriots resistance against the British Colonial Rule will be commemorated today with two separate ceremonies in Lefkosa in memory of the martyrs who lost their lives during the resistance.