Disappointed by Merkel's Cyprus remarks, Ankara calls for fairness

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's recent statements accusing Ankara of failing to work to resolve the Cyprus problem were a serious letdown, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said yesterday. "Ms Merkel's latest statements caused serious disappointment on our part," he told a press conference in Ankara. "If Ms. Merkel and Germany work for peace on the Cyprus issue, we will always support this, but they should first take an objective approach to the parties concerned." During a five-hour visit to Greek Cyprus on Tuesday, Merkel claimed that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots had not done enough to reach a deal on the island. Her criticism also received a prompt response from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "I guess Ms. Merkel has forgotten … (that she) said it was wrong to admit Greek Cyprus into the European Union" before a resolution on Cyprus, Erdogan said in Qatar. "But now she pays a visit to the Greek Cypriot administration and makes such a statement. It is also clear that she does not know the history of the Cyprus issue" Asked to comment on Merkel's views, Davutoglu started by saying that Germany is one of Turkey's key allies. "Positive initiatives taken over the last two years have come from the Turkish side," he added. "If Ms. Merkel had talked to the two parties, she would not be making one-sided statements."