Annan Drops the Hammer on Papadopoulos

The U.N. Secretary-General underlined that it was the Greek side that refused the Plan. "They are responsible and need to explain themselves to the Turks, the U.N. and the entire world," declared Annan.

Annan also invited Papadopoulos to support the lifting of sanctions on Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). "This move will indicate that the Greek side is willing to help Cypriot Turks in the north and take steps in the direction of unification," Annan pointed out.

Meanwhile, Turkish diplomatic sources evaluated Annan’s Cyprus report that was released yesterday. "It meets our expectations," the sources said as they indicated that they were pleased with the content of the report. The diplomatic sources also emphasized that this report is the first one that subjects Papadopoulos to such intense accusations. "The report states the correctness of the Turkish policy and political determination on the subject," added the sources.

The U.N. Security Council will discuss the report on June 8, and Security Council members are expected to issue their own individual statements supportive of the report. The European Commission might also utilize Annan’s report as the Commission prepares the progress report on Turkey.

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul emphasized that the report reflects the realities nicely and honestly. Meanwhile, the U.S. administration also gave its nod to the report.