EU aid for Turkish Cypriots

Published on Tuesday 27 April 2004 01:00

THE European Union yesterday pledged £175 million in aid to Turkish Cypriots to reward them for voting in favour of a United Nations plan to reunify the island.

EU foreign ministers expressed "strong regret" that Greek Cypriots voted down the reunification plan, drafted by the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, and said their goal remains to see a united Cyprus become an EU member.

The vote means

only the Greek Cypriots - whose government is recognised by the international community - will join the EU on Saturday, along with nine other nations.

In a statement, the EU foreign ministers vowed to "put an end to the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community" and reward it for expressing a "clear desire for a future within the European Union".

They also said they were determined to "ensure the people of Cyprus will soon achieve their shared destiny as citizens of a united Cyprus in the European Union".

"We believe a unique opportunity has been missed [in Cyprus]," the EU’s enlargement commissioner, Guenter Verheugen, told reporters.

"This is not the end of the road. It remains our clear, political preference to see the island united [but] I do not know when that moment comes."

Officials said aid for Turkish Cypriots would include funds for building projects and admitting farm produce, fish and other goods from northern Cyprus into the EU under preferential trade terms.

"It is our view that under no circumstances should we allow a situation in which Turkish Cypriots would be punished [because Greek Cypriots rejected reunification]," said Mr Verheugen.

He said the EU will work with the Turkish Cypriot government to distribute aid but insisted that did not signal recognition of that government.

The continuing division of Cyprus means the "Green Line" dividing Cyprus and its capital, Nicosia, will become an external EU border with passport and cargo checks.