US support to Turkey on Cyprus issue

While UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is expected to begin the presentation of the revised plan for the solution of the Cyprus issue at the quadrilateral meeting at 11:00 today, ARD transmitted that US Secretary of State Colin Powell had a telephone communication with his Turkish counterpart last night and characterized Turkey’s demands as “very reasonable”.

According to the German television station, Powel was mainly referring to the issue raised by the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot sides regarding a permanent digression from community acquis, in an attempt to avert an en masse return of Greek Cypriots, driven out of their homes during the occupation, to their homeland.

According to the information, Colin Powell reassured Abdullah Gul that the US will support Turkey’s demand in the framework of the UN.

In statements he made before leaving for Lucerne, according to ARD, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that he would try to come into contact with US President George Bush, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French Presiden Jacques Chirac, stressing that his country will show flexibility.

In contrast, and with the deadline for the Cyprus issue closing in this Wednesday, sources in the Greek Cypriot delegation told the ARD that negotiations have shown no progress.