THE NATIONAL Council (NC) will hold a two-day meeting in mid September to discuss the forthcoming evaluation of Turkey’s EU accession process, Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said yesterday.
Speaking after yesterday’s three-hour NC meeting, Stefanou said President Demetris Christofias had given the parties a detailed briefing on the way the direct talks were going between him and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat.
“Another matter on the agenda was the forthcoming evaluation of Turkey’s accession process in the EU Council’s next meeting in December,” Stefanou explained. “The parties expressed their constructive views on the matter and a preliminary discussion took place.”
He added: “In the next National Council meeting, which will take place on September 14 and 15, the parties will submit their views on the direct negotiations for the Cyprus problem, as well as continue discussions on the evaluation of Turkey’s European accession process”.
Stefanou said all parties had expressed their views and positions on Turkey’s prospective EU accession; some informally and others in writing.
Asked whether coalition partner DIKO had submitted a request to form a Plan B for the Cyprus problem – as was widely reported by the media – the government’s spokesman said the party had only expressed its views on the evaluation of Turkey in the EU.
“The National Council’s next session will span over two days because there are two matters up for discussion: the parties’ deposition of their views on the way negotiations are going in the Cyprus problem, taking into consideration the briefing they received today from President Christofias and the documents they were given, and the continuation of discussions on Turkey’s accession process to the EU,” he explained.
Stefanou also stressed that the government had only listened to the parties’ views on Turkey’s accession, without expressing its own.
Parties that had publicly expressed their desire to veto Turkey’s EU efforts next December repeated their views during yesterday’s meeting, according to the Government Spokesman.
He added, however, “There are various possibilities and choices; what needs to be discussed is what needs to happen and how, so that through Turkey’s accession process, efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem can also be assisted”.
Exiting, the party leaders said they would be evaluating the documents provided by Christofias before offering their final analysis on the progress being made on the Cyprus problem.
