Statement by the Hon. Maurizio Turco, Member of the Italian Parliament (Radicals) and Former Member of the European Parliament and Marco Perduca, Member of the General Council of the Transnational Radical Party:

Nicosia, 21 July 2007

We came to Northern Cyprus on 20th July at the invitation of the local authorities because we wanted to see from ourselves the situation. We have seen, we have heard and we think we have understood some of the key problems that Turkish Cypriots have to face daily.

It is unacceptable that the European Union has not been a super parties player in this ordeal, making promises that have not been kept simply because Brussels has espoused the views of only one of the parties. It seems that European institutions, instead of working towards a political solution, are waiting for the Turkish part to be economically strangled.

The Radical Party is not used to show solidarity with words, this is why we have decided to apply for citizenship of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It is not a provocation nor a demonstrative action, but a concrete gesture to let Europeans know that this part of the island is a democracy that is seeking a comprehensive political solution after the 2004 UN Referendum was rejected by the Greek Cypriots.

We are not here to support one party or the other but to urge the immediate end of the isolation of the Northern part of the island and the re-initiation of the seeking of a federal solution through a high level political dialog.

Finding a solution that could allow the sharing of power of two communities different in language, religion under the banner of a secular democratic federal framework could send a strong political message to the entire Middle East and Mediterranean area.