Cyprus not a condition for starting EU negotiations

In an exclusive interview with television station NTV, Gul said that the resolving of the Cyprus question was not a condition to met before October 3, the date set for the opening of European Union accession talks with Ankara.
Gul said that the EU had made it more difficult to resolve the Cyprus problem.
“The solution lies not within the EU but in the UN,” he told NTV.
The Foreign Minister claimed that the EU’s preliminary scanning process for Turkey would be very easy and completed in a short period of time.
In reference to his recent visit to the Middle East, which took in Israel, Palestine and Jordan,Gul said that both Israel and Palestine were expecting Ankara’s support in trying to restart the peace process. He added that Ankara would make a greater contribution to resolving of the Middle East question and that although the date was not clear that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was scheduled to pay a visit to Israel.
Concerning developments in neighbouring Iraq, Gul said that the general election must be held and warned that if the US forces were to withdraw now that this would result in a civil war in the country.
“The problems can not be solved unless you understand the fury of the Iraqi people,” Gul said.