[autom.vertaling] Het conflict van Cyprus bouwt voor de Top van Kopenhagen op (en)
The Greek Cypriot's national council, an advisory body made up of the heads of political parties represented in parliament has formally accepted the UN plan for the reunification of the Mediterranean island.
Cyprus has been divided between the Greek south and Turkish north since 1974, when Turkey invaded the island. The UN plan, which was presented by United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan on 11 November proposes the set up of a federal republic modelled on the Swiss canton system. Each community should have substantial self-government on the island but being represented internationally as a single state entity.
Referendum on 30 March 2003
The agreement would be submitted by each side to referendum on 30 March 2003, together with other specified matters related, including accession to the European Union.
However, the outcome of such a referendum is quite uncertain, as opinions seem widely divided among the citizens of Cyprus. A poll published in the Greek language daily Politis revealed that 52 per cent of Greek Cypriots oppose the plan, 28 per cent approve and 20 per cent do not know how to react or were not ready to respond. The Irish Times reported that the Cyprus Orthodox Church has expressed strong opposition to the plan.
The UN is determined that Cyprus should enter the EU as a unified country, while a definitive response has not yet come from the Turkish side.
Turkey demands more time
In Athens, Prime Minister Costas Simitis met Monday with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the leader of the Turkish party to the form the next Turkish government. Mr Erdogan said there was not enough time before the EU summit in Copenhagen to respond to the UN plan on the future of Cyprus. The Turkish Parliament's vote of confidence in Turkey's new government - formed after Mr Erdogan's party won general elections on 3 November - would not be held until December 4 - just a week before the Copenhagen summit.
Turkey is pushing hard for the Copenhagen Summit to agree on a starting date for EU accession negotiations with Turkey. Greece insists a solution must be found to the Cyprus problem before it can accept enlargement of the EU with ten new countries, which is the key priority of the Copenhagen summit.
2008 European soccer championship
As a sign of improved relations between Greece and Turkey, Mr Erdogan on Monday declared his support for a joint Greek-Turkish bid to host the 2008 European soccer championship. However, also on Monday Turkish air force planes were reported by Greek media to have infringed air traffic regulations within the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) on 20 different occasions and in some 15 cases they violated Greek airspace.