PRESIDENT TALAT: “I AM NOT OPTIMISTIC ON THE ISSUE OF DIRECT TRADE REGULATION”

President Mehmet Ali Talat speaking upon receiving European journalists pointed out that he was not optimistic on the issue of Direct Trade Regulation.

Stating that Turkish Cypriots desired reunification of the island, President Talat said: “Here, political equality is of vital importance for us. I insisted on the inclusion of political equality in the Annan plan, otherwise I would not accept the plan”.

Drawing attention to the fact that Greek Cypriots did not want the Turkish Cypriot economy to improve, Talat said: “They do not even allow the goods of North Cyprus production, to enter to South Cyprus. These kinds of behaviors are unacceptable.”

Reminding that he was not optimistic on the issue of Direct Trade Regulation, which was prepared as a result of the decision taken by the EU on 26 April 2004, with the aim of easing the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people, President Talat said:

“The regulation will again be blocked by the Greek Cypriot side, also during Portugal’s EU Term Presidency. The only way to overcome this is taking the decisions by majority vote principle in the European Council, as recommended by the European Commission. If this can be realized, the regulation would be implemented. If the Council continues to take decisions unanimously, the regulation would continuously be blocked by the Greek Cypriot side.”

Explaining that new member countries in the EU were not very much informed about the Cyprus problem, Talat said they aimed to improve relations with these countries.