Marcoullis insists Cyprus resolution up to Turkish army

Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou Marcoullis has insisted that the key to the Cyprus issue is in the hands of the Turkish military and not in those of Turkish Cyprus's political leadership or the Turkish government.

Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou Marcoullis said that the key to the Cyprus issue was in the hands of the Turkish military. Marcoullis' latest remarks on the controversial issue came in an interview published in Sunday's edition of Greek Cypriot daily Phileleftheros, the Anatolia news agency reported from Lefkosa (Nicosia).

During the interview when she expressed hope over a planned meeting between Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos scheduled for next month, Marcoullis was asked whether she has changed her mind and believed that "the key to the Cyprus issue has passed to the Turkish Cypriot side since the leaders' meeting would take place.

"The key has always been in the hands of Ankara, particularly in the hands of the Turkish military," Marcoullis replied at the time.

"As we have stated many times, it is the Turkish army that controls all kinds of developments with its permanent presence, with its control over the Turkish society, with its fundamental interests which it believes are present in Cyprus and with its statements over the eastern Mediterranean," she added.

Voicing strong support for the presence of Turkish troops in the northern part of Cyprus, the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Friday harshly slammed the newly appointed Greek Cypriot foreign minister over controversial remarks critical of the chief general staff and the presence of Turkish troops on the divided island.

Earlier this month, in her first remarks to the Turkish media since being appointed in mid-July, Marcoullis, targeting the Turkish military, said the key to the Cyprus issue was in the hands of the Turkish military and not in those of the political leadership of the country, leading to a harsh reaction from the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

"Marcoullis is not a counterpart of Turkey who can state opinions and make evaluations concerning the country's domestic issues. Moreover, belaboring the Turkish Armed Forces and our revered chief of general staff is also beyond Marcoullis' limits," the Foreign Ministry said in a written statement released on August 17, a day after Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Büyükanıt reportedly complained of silence in the Turkish capital against the Greek Cypriot remarks.

The Foreign Ministry also said the Turkish troops stationed on the island within the framework of Turkey's guarantorship rights stemming from the 1960 Guarantee Treaty have brought peace and stability to the island since 1974, while describing Marcoullis' comments as "indecent."

"The assurance of the peace in Cyprus is Turkey and the Turkish Armed Forces. Turkey's Cyprus policy is a national policy and will continue to be pursued with determination. The statements by our revered chief of general staff reflect this policy," the ministry said at the time.

Meanwhile, Talat said over the weekend that Papadopoulos has eventually agreed to meet with him due to presidential elections scheduled to be held in February 2008, while he still voiced hope for the meeting with the Greek Cypriot leader which will be held on Sept. 5.

"We will get what we wished for if this meeting brings us closer to the goal of reaching a comprehensive resolution," Talat told the Anatolia news agency, expressing expectation that the Greek Cypriot administration to participate in the meeting with good will