UK minister's Cyprus visit sparks row

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw was greeted with angry criticism from Cyprus’ president as he arrived on the divided island in hopes of gauging support for a stalled UN. Peace plan.

President Tassos Papadopoulos, who heads the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government, has refused to meet Straw in protest of the foreign secretary’s plan to see the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat.

He suggested Britain was too biased to be a fair arbiter in the dispute.

“If (Straw’s) visit can be considered an extension of the UN secretary general’s (peacemaking) efforts, I think those who want such a role should first be objective and be trusted by both sides that they will be good envoys, promoting the common good and interests of both sides – not their own or other interests related to the EU,” Papadopoulos said after returning from a trip to Moscow.

Britain, the island’s colonial ruler from 1878 to independence in 1960, is a strong backer of Turkey’s bid to join the European Union, but does not recognise Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus.

Cypriot Foreign Minister George Iakovou earlier expressed irritation that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had praised Straw’s visit in a statement yesterday.

“I assume it was extracted by the British,” Iakovou told state radio. He said Annan should not have spoken without consulting all the parties in the decades-old dispute, which could hinder Turkey’s efforts to join the EU if it is not resolved.

Papadopoulos said Straw’s plan to visit Talat today in the Turkish-occupied north of Nicosia “offends the feelings and sensitivities” of Greek Cypriots. He accused Britain of failing to take those views into account.

Straw defended the meeting in an interview with The Associated Press, saying many other nations’ representatives had met with Talat. He said he looked forward to seeing Iakovou, the Cypriot foreign minister.

“I regret the decision (by Papadopoulos) … but it can’t deflect me from the purpose of my visit,” Straw said.

Cyprus has been divided between a Greek Cypriot south – home to the island’s internationally recognised government – and a Turkish-occupied north since 1974, when Turkey invaded in the wake of an abortive Athens-backed coup by supporters of union with Greece.

The self-declared Turkish Cypriot state is recognised only by Turkey.

Straw said he held out little hope for immediate progress in resolving the standoff.

“I don’t think we’ll see any movement in the short term, moving forward,” he said. “What I’m very anxious to ensure is that we don’t see movement backwards.”

He said he hoped to learn on his trip whether the two sides were open to refocusing on Annan’s settlement plan for the island, which was approved by Turkish Cypriots but rejected by Greek Cypriots in separate referendums in 2004, only days before Cyprus joined the EU.

Cyprus today dismissed a new proposal by Turkey to help resolve the dispute by opening Turkish ports to Cypriot ships and planes in exchange for the lifting of restrictions on Turkish Cypriots.

Turkish EU membership will be central to Straw’s talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in Ankara on Thursday.

The 25-nation bloc officially started entry negotiations with Turkey last year and the talks are likely to last at least a decade.