ENTERING Cyprus through Ercan [Tymbou] airport in the north is not illegal, said US Congressman Ed Whitfield, leader of an 11-person delegation that flew in through the north to visit Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday.
“We’ve had extensive discussions with our lawyers in the United States in the State Department and the National Security Council and elsewhere and there’s not anything illegal about flying into the north. As you know, members of the European Union fly in and out of the north. Even Greek Cypriots fly in and out of the north. So we do not view it as illegal in any way,” Whitman said after the delegation’s one-hour meeting with Talat and his advisors.
Whitman’s delegation, which included two other members of the US Congress, Nathan Deal and Eddie Bernice Johnson, was the first visit of its kind to the north, having flown in yesterday morning from Turkey into north Cyprus.
The visit came amid strong criticism from the Cyprus government which maintains that the north’s Ercan airport is not internationally recognised and therefore illegal.
Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides condemned the visit by hitting out at US Ambassador to Cyprus Michael Klosson, who crossed to the north to welcome the delegation, accusing him of having “a tolerance and acceptance of the illegality”.
But Whitfield yesterday seemed undeterred by Greek Cypriot concerns over the visit, openly criticising President Papadopoulos for what he saw as inconsistencies in his treatment of the Turkish Cypriots.
“We’ve come to Cyprus to urge president Papadopoulos to take steps to reunite this country through a bicommunal, bizonal federation. We understand very well that president Papadopoulos does not approve of our visit to the north. He has stated himself that the Turkish government must sign and implement the protocol to the agreement that covers the free movement of people and goods. But he does not appear to support the free movement of people and goods in the north. We have come to Cyprus because we support the free movement of goods throughout all of Cyprus, both north and south,” he said.
Despite conceding that the visit was “symbolic”, Whitman said it was part of efforts by the international community to end the isolation of the north in line with UN resolutions passed in the wake of the Turkish Cypriot yes vote in the referendum on the Annan plan.
“The Secretary-general of the UN has urged all states to co-operate both bilaterally and in international bodies to eliminate unnecessary restrictions and barriers that have the effect of impeding the development of and isolating the Turkish Cypriot people. This move is consistent with UN resolutions 541 and 550,” he said.
Despite comments by the Greek Cypriot authorities over the weekend that they would not refuse the US delegation entry into the south, Whitfield made it clear the group would not be crossing the Green Line on this occasion by saying, “We did offer to meet president Papadopoulos and members of his government but when they realised we were coming to the north they politely refused our coming to the south.”
Challenged to explain what the US had in recent years done to help the Turkish Cypriots out of economic isolation Whitfield said referred to $30 million of aid, and diplomatic efforts to use influence in Europe to “urge economic assistance to the north”.
