Ludford welcomes message from Denktash

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 27th Jun 2001

Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, London's Liberal Democrat Euro-MP, has welcomed the personal message she has received from Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash subsequent to correspondence with the Turkish Cypriot office in London over a remark she made at a press conference. He has written her a card 'thanking her for her stand on the entry of Cyprus to the EU', and hoping to welcome her in Cyprus in the near future.

"Mr Denktash has made a charming personal gesture in writing to me in his own hand, and I thank him for that. He has fully realised that my disagreements with the policies of leaders does not affect my warm appreciation for Turkish & Turkish Cypriot communities."

Baroness Ludford spoke at a press conference for the London-based Turkish and Turkish Cypriot press just before the UK general election. Explaining her outlook on Cyprus, which has been consistently sympathetic to the need to ensure the Turkish Cypriot community is involved in both the UN settlement talks and EU accession talks, she expressed her frustration at their isolated situation by referring to Mr Denktash as a 'dinosaur'.

She later expressed regret at any personal offence her remark had caused, reiterating the substance of her position in the statement attached as well as in correspondence with Mr Muftuzade, the Turkish Cypriot representative in London. She recalled in particular her opposition to reports on Cyprus in the European Parliament as unbalanced in not taking sufficiently into account Turkish Cypriot interests.

But she also stressed her wish for Turkish Cypriot engagement in the UN and EU talks: "I also want a federal Cyprus in the EU - and therefore disagree as he is aware with Mr Denktash - but I want that achieved through bi-communal participation based on equal respect. The UN and EU talks must march in step."

"I believe Mr Denktash recognised - as perhaps some others failed to do - that I am unbiased in my approach to the Cyprus issue. I wish to see peace, prosperity and equal opportunities in the EU for all Cypriots. That may mean blunt speaking when leaders are intransigent, but I am a sincere not a fair-weather friend."

"Some of those critical of my remark might ask if politicians of other political parties are as straightforward. There is a new report on Cyprus in the European Parliament and I will be seeking amendments to correct the lack of balance. Can I count on the support of Labour and Conservative colleagues who say they too want balance?"

Notes:

Baroness Ludford's statement on the misinterpretation of her comments after the press conference follows:

"Statement by Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP concerning the Cyprus issue.

Some newspaper reports have highlighted one small aspect out of the whole set of my remarks concerning Cyprus at the press conference held for the Turkish press by a team of London Liberal Democrats. I am sorry if my remark concerning Mr Denktash has caused offence. I did not intend it as a personal attack on him. Taken out of context, it distorts the overall impression that anyone present at the Press conference would have gained. If my impatience and frustration at the lack of progress towards a political settlement in Cyprus burst through, I can only apologise for my lack of diplomacy.

I am in favour of a modern, pluralistic, European style of politics, which respects differences but which bridges those differences in co-operative style. Against that benchmark I find that the intransigent nationalism that marks too much of Cypriot politics does indeed have a "dinosaur" quality. I have also been known to be undiplomatic about the Greek Cypriot leadership!

I spent most time at the Press conference in expressing my consistently-held view that I have difficulty seeing how it would be feasible for Cyprus to join the EU without a political settlement on the island. Not least because I fail to see how this could be good for the EU itself. Because of this, and my concern about the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community, I joined only a handful of colleagues in the European Parliament in voting 9 months ago against an EP report (the Poos report) which repeated the assertion that the lack of political settlement should not be an impediment to Cyprus' accession to the EU. I received some criticism for voting against this report. Labour as well as Conservative MEPs largely supported the line taken in the Poos report.

I believe in equal respect for the Greek and Turkish communities in Cyprus, but this must be expressed in a federal solution with devolved responsibilities. Engagement in both the UN political negotiations and in the EU accession talks is the only realistic route for the Turkish community to shape as well as enjoy the peace, influence and prosperity that Cyprus' future in the EU will bring.

Once again I am sorry if offence has been caused by my remark, but I hope I have shown that to highlight this alone is to distort my overall approach to the Cyprus issue, which is sympathetic to the interests of the Turkish community."