TURKEY SAID yesterday that Finland’s proposal on Cyprus did not go far enough and must include the opening of Tymbou (Ercan) airport in the north the to direct international flights.
“They cannot be a substitute for a comprehensive settlement (of the Cyprus problem),” spokesman Namik Tan said, referring to the Finnish proposals made as part of their EU presidency.
The proposals are designed to avoid a clash between Turkey and the bloc next month over Ankara’s failure to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot traffic under the EU customs union protocol.
Under the Finnish plan, which is not yet in writing, Turkey would open a small number of its ports to Greek Cypriot traffic. Turkish Cypriot trade restrictions
would also be eased by the opening of Famagusta port under EU or UN supervision, and Varosha would be given over to UN administration.
But Tan made clear the EU must also allow international flights into Ercan airport in the north, which hopes to develop its economy through tourism. Asked whether his comments on the proposals included Ercan, Tan said “Yes”.
In a further setback for the Finnish plan, Turkish Cypriot “foreign minister” Turgay Avci told Reuters in Ankara yesterday that the Finnish proposals did not take his community’s concerns into account.
The Turkish Cypriot side is also balking at the return of Varosha, saying the future of the ghost town should be part of a comprehensive settlement.
However President Tassos Papadopoulos said yesterday Turkey could not choose what issues would be solved at the end of the procedure for a Cyprus settlement and what could be discussed now.
Speaking at Larnaca Airport before his departure for Helsinki to participate in the Informal European Council, Papadopoulos said that if Turkey did not want to accept the help offered by the EU to avoid a clash “this is Turkey’s problem”.
”Cyprus cannot be called on to pay the price of help which Finnish presidency is trying to give to Turkey to fulfil its obligations undertaken towards European Union,” he said.
Papadopoulos said the Finnish presidency was exchanging ideas with all interested parts so that Turkey can implement its obligations.
”For this help to Turkey, we set as an inviolable term the return of the fenced-off town of Famagusta to its legal inhabitants and owners of the land,” he said.
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