In an interview given to the English language daily 'The New Anatolian' in Turkey, President Mehmet Ali Talat said the biggest threat to a solution to the Cyprus problem was escalating nationalism.

President Talat said the Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos' only aim was to assimilate the Turkish Cypriots.

The President asked for Ankara's full support to persuade the Russian side to take initiatives or at least not to prevent any steps from being taken through the United Nations.

Referring to his recent visit to the USA, President Talat said it was the highest-level invitation from the US administration to the Turkish Cypriots to date and that during the visit he had expressed the Turkish Cypriot side's view that the UN Secretary-General should relaunch an initiative as soon as possible. He said: "However, everyone knows that Annan is not keen to take any steps if a positive atmosphere towards a solution is lacking"

Asked how he evaluated the US administration's approach towards ending the international isolation of the TRNC, President Talat said: " The United States is playing a leading role in ending our isolation. As a superpower, it has a unique political power to settle the issue. The USA is really the most serious party working honestly to end the embargo on the TRNC. The main problem is the Russian approach".

Indicating that the main mechanism for removing the embargoes and pressuring the Greek Cypriot side towards a settlement was the European Union, the President said as a full EU member the Greek Cypriot administration doing their best to place all kinds of difficulties and hurdles in front of Turkey EU accession process, and that by doing this they aimed to drive a wedge between Turkey and the TRNC.

Responding to a question asked how he evaluated the recent controversy on the supplementary Customs Union protocol concerning the possible opening of Turkish seaports and airports to the Greek Cypriots, President Talat said: "We consider this to be positive but, at the same time, we request that the restrictions imposed on us be lifted. Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul also shares this view".

He added that when Turkish seaports are opened to the Greek Cypriot side, if the TRNC's seaports and airports continued to remain closed this would be fatal to the TRNC economy.

Asked: "In 2012 the term presidency of the EU will be held by the Greek Cypriots. What do you think will happen between now and then?", President Talat said: "The Cyprus problem must be settled before this date. If not, it means that there will be major crises and this crises I believe will force a solution."

Expressing his view regarding the Greek Cypriot side's persistent request for the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus, President Talat underlined that the Greek Cypriot side's refusal to reach a settlement and at the same time their insistence for the withdrawal of Turkish troops was neither logical nor ethical.

The President said Papadopoulos had clearly expressed that the Greek Cypriot side wanted an agreement that would envisage the withdrawal of the Turkish Army from the island, and that their aim was osmosis (assimilation). He said: "It's obvious that such a demand is not an indication of good will".

Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer reacted to the Greek Cypriot side's interpretation of the positive steps taken by the Turkish Cypriot side towards opening the Lokmacı border gate as being "a violation of the Green Line", and said "this approach is unbelievable".

Blaming the Papadopoulos administration for the island's division, Prime Minister Soyer called upon Papadopoulos to get rid of the border that he set up in front of the Lokmacı gate and turned it into a place of worship and stop keeping Nicosia divided.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of the new VIP Hall at the Ataturk Stadium, the Prime Minister said outrageous remarks to the effect that the Turkish Army was violating the Green Line basically confirmed that the Greek Cypriot side was distorting the realities because it was frightened and that Papadopoulos himself was responsible for the division and isolation.

He said: "We're not violating the Green Line. In order to overcome the years long division that has been created over the Green Line by sovereign Greek Cypriot forces we are using our right and all our opportunities and taking steps to ensure that it is opened".

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Serdar Denktas on speaking at a conference organized at the Ege University in Turkey entitled, "International Public Relation: The Cyprus Model, The TRNC's Public Relations in its Recognition Process", stated that Turkish governments had done whatever was necessary in the Cyprus issue and that by taking a further step forward the current government had demonstrated to the world that the Turkish Cypriots were in favour of a settlement.

Serdar Denktas said:

"The current government and previous governments have done whatever was necessary on the Cyprus issue. By taking a further step the current government demonstrated to the world that the Turkish Cypriots are in favour of a settlement. However, nothing changed. Once more the Cyprus issue is still being put in front of Turkey's EU accession process. The steps taken by the last government have been very courageous and resulted in the EU member countries to see their shame and ask themselves what happened to the promises we made to the Turkish Cypriots. Turkey and the TRNC have done everything that is necessary, it's now the EU's turn".

Indicating that the Cyprus issue continued to be put in front of Turkey's EU accession process, he said: "But this can go on for so long. One day, no matter which government is in power, when Turkey sees that it is being squeezed to the point of being forced to make concessions it can't give, Turkey will halt the EU negotiation process and then it will be the EU who will chase after Turkey. Because Turkey has young and well-educated people and has a very good in defence, and these are the 3 things that the EU needs".

Stressing the importance of economic and cultural activities in international relations and that Russia, whose relations with Turkey is developing, has started to look at the TRNC more positively, Serdar Denktas said: "In this era, the saying that 'A Turk has no other friend than a Turk', is not very true because, the more that a country develops its economic and cultural relations, the more friends it'll have".

Around 1,000 Turkish Cypriots living in the UK took to the streets to protest the ongoing embargoes on the TRNC and its non-recognition.

Those participating in the protest that was organized by 'The Association of Cypriots Abroad (AKCA)', started at the Whitehall Place, where the Prime Ministry is situated, and carrying huge TRNC flags proceeded to walk to the Turkish Embassy in London, chanting slogans such as, "Freedom to North Cyprus", "Cyprus is Turkish and will remain Turkish", "We want direct flights to our country", "Blair do your job".

Two letters to be passed on to Prime Minister Tony Blair entitled, "Why the embargoes should be lifted" and "Why we want recognition", were also presented to officials from the Prime Ministry.