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ANKARA: Turkey, EU clash over N Cyprus participation in OIC-EU forum

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  • ANKARA: Turkey, EU clash over N Cyprus participation in OIC-EU forum

    Turkey, EU clash over northern Cyprus's participation in OIC-EU forum

    Anatolia news agency
    30 Sep 04

    Ankara, 30 September: European Union (EU) Acting Presidency offered
    Turkey that observer countries including also [self-declared] Turkish
    Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) should take their place at the
    table in the OIC [Organization of the Islamic Conference] - EU foreign
    ministers' Joint Forum without their name plates. Dutch Ambassador to
    Turkey Sjoerd Gosses replied to questions of reporters, after the
    luncheon hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister
    Abdullah Gul in honour of EU countries' ambassadors to Turkey.

    Stating that Turkey did not accept the offer made by EU Acting
    Presidency on Wednesday evening [29 September], Gosses said that
    Turkish side insisted that name plates should be on the table.

    Gosses said that he would convey this response to Dutch authorities,
    noting that EU Acting President's Office asked all EU countries to
    give information about their participation in the forum. [Passage
    omitted]

    Expressing his sorrow over this problem, Gosses noted that it could
    not be said that this name ('Turkish Cypriot State') was accepted by
    the OIC so EU should also accept it.

    Gosses stated that many countries said that if TRNC attends the forum
    under the name of 'Turkish Cypriot State', they would not take part in
    the forum. Gosses said that they also proposed that they could issue
    a statement saying that "they don't recognize TRNC" before the forum,
    but this proposal was not accepted by a significant part of new
    members of the EU. [Passage omitted]

    Asked whether the Dutch foreign minister would participate in the
    forum, Gosses said that he could not say for sure, adding he was
    doubtful whether foreign minister would attend under these
    circumstances.

    Foreign Minister Gul said that he considered that EU Acting
    Presidency's offer that observer countries should attend OIC-EU Joint
    Forum without their name plates was not normal.

    Answering a question on participation of EU countries in the forum,
    Gul said that EU authorities would decide on this issue, adding that
    they expected foreign ministers to attend it. "OIC and EU are
    different organizations. TRNC is an observer member of the OIC, and it
    will attend the forum with this status," he added.

    Other issues

    Sources said that Greek Ambassador to Turkey Micheal Christides asked
    Gul to inform them on his meetings in the UN General Assembly and his
    meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan.

    Gul said that he had many meetings in New York, stating that his
    meeting with Oskanyan was very fruitful, stating that they would
    continue to contribute to solution of problems between Armenia and
    Azerbaijan.

    British Ambassador to Turkey Peter Westmacott mentioned attacks on
    HSBC branches and asked what measures Turkey has taken.

    Gul said that both intelligence and security departments were paying
    great attention to this issue, noting that they would not allow such
    attacks. Gul added that they were in touch with British authorities
    and acting together on this issue.
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