Turkish MPs: Cyprus is a key for Turkey’s EU course

Turkish Cypriot daily Gunes newspaper (07.12.12) reports that six MPs from the Turkish Republican People’s Party (CHP) and five MPs from the Turkish Nationalist Action party (MHP) visited yesterday the self-styled prime minister, Irsen Kucuk and the “speaker” of the so-called assembly, Hasan Bozer.
In statements during the meetings, CHP MP from Alexandretta (Hatay) area, Mevlut Dudu said they are MPs assigned by their parties with the duty of dealing with the Cyprus problem, which is very important both for their parties and their country. “Cyprus is in a key position for Turkey’s EU target”, said Dudu claiming that Turkey has neglected the Cyprus problem for some time now.
Dudu argued that “a new opening is needed” on the Cyprus problem and added that for this reason they wanted to be briefed by the Turkish Cypriot “officials” on this issue.
In his statements, MHP’s MP Erkan Akca, said that Cyprus has always been a national cause for Turkey, noting that they are annoyed by the fact that the Turkish government “turned the Palestinian problem into its own problem by ignoring Cyprus”. He underlined their bonds with the Turkish Cypriots and noted that they are always ready to offer their support to them.
Speaking during the meeting with the Turkish MPs, Bozer said he was glad with Palestine joining the UN, but at the same time he felt a pain and wondered why the Turkish Cypriots could not do the same. He argued that they were waiting for the Cyprus talks to resume after the presidential elections in the Republic of Cyprus and reiterated the Turkish view that no result could be achieved with open ended negotiations.
Addressing the Turkish MPs, Irsen Kucuk said that any kind of support from Turkey gives them strength. He argued that the Greek Cypriots exerted some efforts to interrupt the financial aid granted by the European Union to the “TRNC”, as he described the breakaway regime in the occupied area of Cyprus, but thanks to intensive backstage activities by the Turkish side this Greek Cypriot demand has been rejected.