IIThe statements by Archbishop of Cyprus Chrysostomos II, in a televised interview at Greece’s SKAI channel saying inter alia, that Cyprus deceived the European Union so as to accept the island into its ranks, created strong reactions among the Turkish Cypriot politicians.

Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis (05.05.11), under the title “He didn’t say something that it is not known” reports that Turkish Cypriot politicians recalled that some European officials and especially former EU Commissioner for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen said that they were deceived by the Cyprus Government.

Former Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas claimed that not only the Greek Cypriot side and Greece deceived the EU, but also Britain participated in this deception for its own interests.

Mehmet Ali Talat, former Turkish Cypriot leader, said that “this confession shows that the case of the Greek Cypriot side was created in a suitable atmosphere for its own interests by hiding the realities”.

Ozdil Nami, self-styled deputy of the Republican Turkish Party ? United Forces (CTP-BG), said that this kind of confession by the Greek Cypriot side should be a great message to the Europeans who decided for Cyprus’ EU membership.

Moreover, Ali Erel, chairman of the EU Association, in his statement, said that the Archbishop’s statement is not something new, adding that Verheugen said also the same things. Explaining that the EU and the Turkish Cypriot side think also like this, Erel said that “The Greek Cypriots’ reaction to the Church emerged from this reality”.

Havadis, under the title “Kucuk: Archbishop’s statement did not surprised us…”, reports that self-styled prime minister Irsen Kucuk, in a statement prior the “council of ministers’ meeting”, commented on the latest statement by Archbishop Chrysostomos on Cyprus’ EU membership. He said that these remarks did not come as a surprise for the Turkish Cypriot side, since the Greek Cypriot side had been pursuing such policies for years. Claiming that the Republic of Cyprus President Christofias is not sincere on the ongoing negotiations, Kucuk said that by prolonging consistently the negotiations shows that he does not want a solution.

Havadis (online, 05.05.11), under the title “ORP: it is difficult to have a solution with the Greek Cypriots”, reports that the leader of the Freedom and Reform Party (ORP) Turgay Avci, in a press release, criticized among other issues the latest statement by Archbishop Chrysostomos, claiming that the Archbishop’s latest statements is a clear confession that the Hellenism policies are still continued by the Greek Cypriot side in the island. He added that if the Greek Cypriots do not abandon this, then a Cyprus settlement is not possible.

Commenting on the Archbishop’s statement that the Greek Cypriot side deceived the EU, Avci said that “the Turkish Cypriot side’s realities have been understood by the European officials” and we call them to give an end to the isolation and sanctions imposed on the Turkish Cypriots”.

Avci also said that all these statements once again show that the Greek Cypriots are two-faced and untrustworthy.

On the same issue, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (05.05.11) reports that self-styled minister of foreign affairs Huseyin Ozgurgun, criticizing Archbishop’s statement that the Greek Cypriot side had tricked the EU in joining the bloc, recalled that the Turkish Cypriot side had warned the EU officials on the insincerity of the Greek Cypriot side. He added that the Archbishop’s statement is a historic confession.

Ozgurgun also said: “We proved our point and now the EU can see how justified we were in our claims”.