Turkey Achieved the Impossible in Cyprus

Fischer told Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) that the Turkish attitude toward government reforms and Cyprus is pretty positive. "In the developments that I have seen, the impossible has occurred. Turkey followed a very clever policy on the Cyprus issue. I think an opportunity was seized to solve a crisis causing tension all the time. There is a chance to transform the Aegean and the Mediterranean into a region of permanent peace. This is also the result of the clever policies Turkey chose. I hope these policies are fully supported by Athens as well." The German Minister, however, disclosed that Turkey’s membership in the E.U. will take time and added that pushing Turkey back would be an act of narrow mindedness. Fischer emphasized the geo-strategic and cultural importance of Turkey and said, "If a country dominated by a tradition based on Islam like Turkey can harmonize this tradition with modernization, it will be a great step and a model for the entire region. This is the most important security issue of the 21st century."

TRNC Open to Americans

The American administration has announced that U.S. citizens anywhere in the world can go directly to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) with a tourist visa. U.S. Special Cyprus Envoy, Thomas Weston, said that U.S. support will continue in every aspect during a visit to TRNC New York Representative, Resat Caglar, at his office yesterday.