Cyprus problem?

Turkey, Greece see window of opportunity for Cyprus
The foreign ministers of Turkey and Greece have said they see an opportunity for progress toward settlement of the Cyprus problem in the wake of elections on the divided Mediterranean island.

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The two ministers were meeting in Ankara on Saturday, two days after Greek Cyprus’ newly elected leader Demitris Christofias said he was likely to meet with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat later in March, the first such meeting on the island in years.
“We think that an important window of opportunity has opened for 2008” concerning the Cyprus issue, Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said following the meeting with his Greek counterpart, Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, who was in Ankara to attend an International Women’s Day conference organized by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

Christofias, elected on Feb. 24, has pledged to restart reunification talks between the Greek and Turkish communities on the island, whose division remains a hurdle to Turkey’s European Union aspirations. He said the meeting would probably be between March 17 and 24.

Bakoyannis’ comments echoed those of Babacan, as she said, “There is a window of opportunity before us, and it is an opportunity that we can develop by making a contribution.”

The visiting foreign minister also reiterated her country’s support for Turkey’s EU membership bid.

“The day Turkey is a full member of the EU will be a cause for joy for Greece,” she said. “For Greece, this will mean that Turkey has fulfilled the EU’s criteria. And this will bring with it stability and development for the region.”

Cyprus has been divided between a Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish north since 1974, when Turkey intervened after an Athens-backed coup by supporters of a union with Greece.

Ankara does not recognize the Greek Cypriot government, which entered the EU in May of 2004 as the official representative for the entire island.

Stalled efforts to reunite Cyprus are hampering Turkey’s chances of joining the EU. The Greek Cypriots represent the island in the EU, with veto rights over the admission of Turkey to the bloc. The EU partially suspended Turkey’s EU accession talks in 2006 over its refusal to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot traffic.

Talat last week had talks in Ankara where he met with President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Erdoğan, while Christofias also had talks in Athens, where he met with Greek President Karolos Papoulias and Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.