BRUSSELS
Turkey will make a strong response to misinformation from the Greek Cypriot administration about the island, Turkey’s minister of EU affairs and Chief Negotiator Volkan Bozkir said on Wednesday.
Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus does not accept the Greek Cypriot Administrations efforts to create ‘false perceptions’ in recent years, which are intended to block the efforts for a solution, Bozkir said.
''The Greek Cypriot Administration controls only half of the island. That is should possess all of the island’s resources will not be accepted by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,’’ Bozkir warned.
Bozkir spoke to the press before his meeting with Ozdil Nami, Foreign Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in Brussels on Wednesday.
‘’The Cyprus problem is also interfering with Turkey's admission to the European Union. Turkey will also respond in a much stronger way to this, by refuting these misperceptions, by revealing the truth,’’ Bozkir said.
Bozkir’s comments came a day before the European Parliament is set to vote on a resolution on the tension between Turkey and the Greek Cypriot Administration over oil and gas exploration in the waters off the island.
The draft resolution demands that Turkish vessels operating in waters in and around the so-called "exclusive economic zone" of the Greek Cypriot Administration be withdrawn immediately.
However, Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has pointed out that resources ‘’in Cyprus are for all Cypriots.’’
A dispute between Turkey and the Greek Cypriot Administration over the divided island of Cyprus on Dec. 11, 2006 prompted the EU to freeze eight chapters of Turkey's accession process into the 28-nation bloc.
The Greek Cypriot Administration is a member of the EU and is internationally recognized by all nations except Turkey.
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