European LibDems press EU governments on Turkish-Cypriot isolation

12.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 29th Aug 2007

The European Liberal Democrat (ALDE) group in the European Parliament is demanding a debate with the EU Council of Ministers to press for answers about the lack of fulfilment of their 2004 promise to end the isolation of North Cyprus.

London's Liberal Democrat member of the European Parliament Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, who has been active on Cyprus issues since her election in 1999, said:

"The breach of this promise, given in the wake of the Turkish Cypriot 2 to 1 vote in favour of the UN Annan peace plan, is nothing short of scandalous. The EU has been more active in resolving other 'frozen conflicts' like Kosovo than in delivering the practical benefits of EU membership to those who are actually EU citizens!"

"As Turkish Cypriots continue to experience isolation and lack of free trade and movement, and are deprived of the economic opportunities that EU membership ought to bring, they are understandably getting disillusioned and demoralised. The EU has shot itself in the foot by its weak and cowardly behaviour. But the Republic of Cyprus cannot ultimately benefit from this situation either."

Sarah added: "The ALDE group will press other groups to agree that the European Parliament contact group on North Cyprus should have a more ambitious agenda and for a flexible solution allowing the two Turkish Cypriot representatives in the European Parliament to make their voices heard despite their lack of formal status."

Sarah Ludford has also expressed disappointment at the failure of the UK government to push harder to include North Cyprus universities in the 'Bologna process' which is creating a European higher education area of high quality courses between which students can move easily with recognition of their degrees and diplomas. The reply to her letter asking what the UK Education Secretary was doing to ensure their inclusion simply reiterated the formal position of exclusion and pointed to informal links.

The ALDE group has also welcomed the election of accomplished politician and statesman Abdullah Gul as president of Turkey and the determination of the new government to continue its drive to join the EU. It is hoped that tensions over Cyprus might also be eased in the new political climate, as well as progress made on the Kurdish question.