PRESIDENT Tassos Papadopoulos yesterday welcomed what he called a “correction” to statements made by top US officials on Wednesday, which he had referred to as “hostile”
“The correction made to all unacceptable statements on behalf of the US is welcome,” President Papadopoulos told reporters.
On Thursday night, Papadopoulos lashed out at the international community, and particularly the US, for their “counterproductive” stance on the Cyprus problem, accusing the island’s “foreign friends” of acting as “censors and overlords”.
He had been responding to reports that US Secretary of State Colin Powell had formally addressed Mehmet Ali Talat as “Mr Prime Minister” in Washington, and to a reference by State Department spokesman Richard Boucher to the “Greek Cypriot government”, a departure from the politically correct “Cyprus government”.
Papadopoulos said the international community was trying to punish the Greek Cypriots for their overwhelming rejection of a Annan plan last month. Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of the plan and have since scored significant points in the international community, which has apportioned a large share of the blame for the Greek Cypriot rejection of the plan to Papadopoulos, who called for a “resounding no”.
The Turkish Cypriot side and Ankara have since launched a diplomatic offensive to end their isolation in the international community, particularly in the EU and in Washington, which have not taken kindly to the Greek Cypriot ‘no’.
Boucher’s “correction”, however, was not as unequivocal as the government yesterday sought to make it appear. According to a transcript of his press briefing late on Thursday, Boucher made it clear there had been no change in US policy towards Cyprus, but stopped short of admitting his reference to “Greek Cypriot government” had been an oversight.
When asked by one journalist in Washington if his reference had been a mistake, Boucher said: “No. It was a descriptive term.”
Boucher refused to answer further questions as to whether the comment had been a mistake and repeated several times that there was no change in the recognition policy as far as the north of the island was concerned.
“We’re not talking about changing our recognition policy. We are talking about steps to reduce the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community, and let’s leave the debate in that sphere. That’s all we’re talking about. That’s what we’re talking about at this point,” Boucher said.
Turkish Cypriot press yesterday reported that State Department Cyprus Co-ordinator Thomas Weston had told the Voice of America that the US would take steps consistent with those of the EU, although he added the US believed the EU measures did not go far enough to help the Turkish Cypriots. He said the US would also be taking unilateral steps as well.
“Our political goal is ending the isolation of northern Cyprus,” Weston said. He said the US was currently working on implementing direct flights into the north and also mentioned financial aid. He said he did not see any possibility of a Cyprus solution in the near future.
