Cyprus result must mean more cooperation with Turkish Cypriot community

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 26th Apr 2004

Sarah Ludford on a visit to Cyprus with a European Parliament delegation met with Turkish Cypriot politicians and public figures including Ozdil Nami, Mustafa Akinci and Ali Erel, pictured with her in this photo

Speaking following the announcement of the result of the referendum in Cyprus on the Annan plan for reuniting the island, London's Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford regretted the result, which sees an historic chance to bring the communities together as Cyprus joins the EU pass by.

"I strongly welcome the 2 to 1 vote by Turkish Cypriots in favour of the Annan plan and Europe, and strongly regret the Greek Cypriot 'No', which is based on looking to the past rather than the future.

I am glad EU foreign ministers intend to "put an end to the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community". I welcome the confirmation that the €260 million (£170 million) aid intended for the North in the event of a settlement will be given in any case, and that the European Commission will cooperate with the Turkish Cypriot community. One immediate change I would like to see is the recruitment of Turkish-speaking Cypriots to the European institutions.

As European Liberal Democrat spokeswoman on civil liberties, I shall take a full part in the examination by my committee of allegations of suppression of free speech, in defiance of European values, during the campaign in South Cyprus."

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