Erdogan pledges to end isolation of Turkish Cypriots

Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan left for northern Cyprus today, saying the lifting of the crippling economic isolation on Turkish Cypriots was a government priority.

Erdogan, accompanied by six ministers and several legislators, will attend tomorrow’s 32nd anniversary celebrations of the 1974 Turkish invasion that split the eastern Mediterranean island.

Erdogan’s government is under EU pressure to open up its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot jets and vessels and has been warned that its EU membership talks could come to a halt if it doesn’t.

Turkey insists it will not make any concessions until the international embargo is ended.