EP urges Turkey to withdraw the troops from Cyprus

EP approved a resolution on Turkey urging the country to ease local restrictions on civil liberties and settle its long-standing issues with Cyprus.

The parliament urged the country to improve the rights of women and of its Kurdish minority, adopt a new law on increasing press freedom and withdraw its troops from northern Cyprus. "Progress in terms of concrete reforms remained limited in 2009," the resolution said, urging Ankara to "translate its political initiatives into concrete amendments”, writes Setimes.com

MEPs criticised Ankara for keeping airports and harbours closed to Cypriot vessels, for the fourth year in a row. This is something that could " seriously affect the process of negotiations," they warned. Outstanding human rights issues and the banning of a political party for the Kurdish minority were also flagged up by MEPs. On the positive side, they noted the thaw in Turkish-Armenian relations and a law removing restrictions on broadcasting in Kurdish. Twelve out of the negotiation 35 chapters have so far been opened with Turkey since 2006 when accession talks started, euobserver.com informs.