The European Commissioner in Charge of Enlargement Gunter Verheugen has renewed his call for EU member counties to provide financial support for Turkish Cypriots and end their isolation.
Speaking on Turkish NTV channel on the last day of his visit to Turkey, Mr. Verheugen said that the view – expressed by all that Turkish Cypriots should financially be supported to remove the differences between the North and the South – should be put into action.
Reminding that the European Commission had prepared a package with this aim, he explained that the package was still waiting at the Council of Europe for approval, but expressed the hope that discussions on the regulation were only technical.
`I want the EU countries to keep the promises they had made` he said, warning that reaction from Turkish Cypriots was very imminent in case of a failure to get the approval of the regulation.
Pointing to the possible reactions in case of a postponement of the regulation, Mr. Verhaugen said that no time should be wasted on the issue.
Noting that there was no change in the European Commission’s point of view towards Turkish Cypriots, he said that the Commission was ready to start preferential trade with Turkish Cypriots and help them to improve their economy.
Reminding that 259-million euros worth of financial aid has already been earmarked for the North, Mr. Verhaugen said that the money will be used by Turkish Cypriots in the coming three years.
But he added that no steps could be taken on the Free Trade Regulation and Assistance Regulation prepared by the European Commission until their approval.
Speaking at Ataturk Airport at the end of his five day visit to Turkey, Mr. Verheugen said that the EU’s Progress Report on Turkey will be announced on the 6th of October as planned and that it would be fair and unbiased.
This News Bulletin Is Taken From BRT