Sweden's bildt highlights Greek responsibility in Cyprus' division

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, has presented a historical account of the Cyprus issue that included Greek and Greek Cypriot actions that eventually led to a Turkish military intervention and the island's division. Bildt, whose country will be at the helm of the EU until January, made the remarks in response to a salvo of questions by Greek and Greek Cypriot members of the European Parliament at a hearing of the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday. Many of the questions directed at Bildt, who was presenting the Sweden's foreign affairs and security priorities to the Foreign Affairs Committee, centered on whether Turkey would open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot traffic by the end of this year. The EU Council's sole decision concerning Cyprus is not related to the ports issue, Bildt said in response, adding that the EU would examine all decisions related to Cyprus and then “decide what could be done once all liabilities have been addressed,” referring to EU pledges to lift the international isolation of Turkish Cypriots. The EU Council's decisions concerning Cyprus should be considered “parts of the same whole,” Bildt emphasized, in an apparent reference to Turkey's stance, saying that it would open its ports and airports when the isolation of Turkish Cypriots is eased by the EU. In response to a deputy criticizing the presence of Turkish peace forces in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Bildt referred to the incidents which eventually led to division of the island in 1974. “At the time, Col. Georgios Papadopoulos was the leader of the military junta in Athens. The junta in Athens started a series of incidents in Cyprus which led to the intervention of Turkish forces in the north. This is the reality; there cannot be any junta in EU members,” Bildt said. “Why didn't the resolution in Cyprus happen in 2004?” Bildt also asked. UN-brokered efforts to reunite Cyprus collapsed in 2004 when the Greek Cypriots rejected a reunification plan in a referendum. The Turkish Cypriots approved the plan in a simultaneous vote. Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Christofias launched peace talks last September aimed at finding a comprehensive solution to the division of the island.