Verhofstadt Support for Cyprus and Negotiations

Erdogan disclosed that it was necessary to end the isolation of the Cypriot Turks after their support of the Annan Plan in the referendum on April 24th and to apply the commission’s decision including financial aid to North Cyprus dated July 7 and the recommendation about trade. Verhofstadt recorded that a new initiative supported by the United Nations (UN) will be very beneficial. At the December 17 Summit it was decided that a close partnership should be developed between the two countries before the negotiations. The Belgian Prime Minister stressed that they would be glad to share the experiences that had about new members and to contribute during the negotiations.

Meanwhile, arguments over Turkey’s EU membership are continuing in France. French President Jean-Pierre Raffarin criticized ruling People’s Movement Party leader Nicolas Sarkozy and French Democracy Union leader Francois Bayrou who he accuses of trying to confuse Turkey’s EU membership with the EU Constitution. Raffarin pointed out that this is wrong but they cannot mislead the French people.