The Greek Cypriot side, including top leaders of the government and major parties, have expressed their disapproval towards a new proposal on the Cyprus settlement announced by Ankara on Tuesday, dismissing it as rehashed Turkish policies.

"I don't see anything new in it," President Tassos Papadopoulos told reporters on his return from Moscow Tuesday evening.

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on Tuesday gave an outline of Ankara's 10-point proposal, or action plan, aimed at kick-starting stalled negotiations on the Cyprus problem.

"It is a proposal Turkey made in 2004 which I believe is nothing but an attempt by them to avoid the obligations Turkey has towards Cyprus and the EU in its negotiation framework", Papadopoulos denounced.

Turkey has proposed new talks by June, saying it was willing to lift its ban on the use of Turkish ports and airports by Greek Cypriot air and sea traffic.

"It is not the first time that Turkey asks for something in return for carrying out what it is already obliged to implement," Papadopoulos added.

He said the Greek Cypriot side would study the plan, but he does not believe it contains anything that could be considered a new initiative for Cyprus.

Commenting the proposal or action plan, Foreign Minister George Iacovou also said "it's just reheated food that is not even edible."

The new initiative, timely announced to coincide with a visit by British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to the region, had been submitted months ago by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, he said.

Meanwhile, all the Greek Cypriot political parties criticized the Turkish moves in the same manner.

The Socialist EDEK party said the government should move immediately within Europe to force Turkey to fulfill its obligations under the customs union protocol.

Similar statements were also made by the ruling left-wing Working People's Progressive Party AKEL and Democratic Party DIKO.

United Democrats party leader Michalis Papapetrou also said the move by Ankara was a public relations stunt designed to show that Turkey was one step ahead of the Cyprus government.

In contrast with the reactions from the Greek Cypriot side,

Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat in the north gave his full backing to the Turkish proposal, describing it as a possible " trigger for a solution".

Speaking at a press conference just an hour after Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul's announcement of the 10-point proposal, Talat said the plan stemmed from a need to solve the problem before it "went further into a cul-de-sac".

Ankara's plan had been formulated "in accordance with the expectations of the EU and the UN" and, in essence, foresees Turkey adhering to the EU demand that it opens its ports and air- traffic routes to Greek Cypriot traffic, while at the same time expressing EU and UN support for a lifting of economic and political embargoes on the Turkish Cypriot north, said Talat.

Talat echoed Ankara's view that opening Turkey's ports to Greek Cypriot planes and shipping without the reciprocal lifting of the embargoes on Turkish Cypriot ports and airports would be unacceptable.

He sees the two things as linked, saying "if Turkey opens its ports to Greek Cypriots while ours remain embargoed our isolation will be deepened. That's why the two should happen simultaneously. "

"The proposal comes now after much work on the subject and because we feel a need to end the current stalemate. The suggestion that a top level meeting should take place in May or June comes from the fact that the EU enters a new term at that time," he said.

Significantly the proposed date for the meeting is just after the general elections on the Greek Cypriot side, he added.

The Greek Cypriot side is due to hold parliamentary elections on May 21.

Local press on Wednesday quoted diplomats as saying the ideas outlined by Turkish foreign minister were not new, but their timing underlined Ankara's need to show it seriously wants a peace settlement amid growing EU frustration at its attitude towards EU member Cyprus.

The Cyprus government says it may block Turkey's own efforts to join the bloc unless Ankara moves to recognize it and insists that the so-called isolation of northern Cyprus is totally due to the " occupation" of that part of the island by Turkey.

The Cyprus dispute has threatened to hinder Turkey's efforts to join the European Union and Turkey is under pressure to recognize Cyprus, a member of the 25-member bloc.

EU officials have said Turkey risks paralyzing its membership bid if it does not open its ports and airports to Cypriot ships and planes.

Cyprus has been divided along the ethnic line to the Greek Cypriot south and Turkish Cypriot north since 1974, when Turkey sent troops to take control of the northern third of the island to foil a coup engineered by Greek Cypriots seeking union with Greece.

The latest UN-led efforts to reunite the island failed in April 2004, when the Greek Cypriot south under the world-recognized government rejected in a referendum on UN plan for the island reunification, while it was approved by the Turkish Cypriot north, only recognized by Ankara.

After that, the Greek Cypriot south became a European Union member representing the whole island, leaving the Turkish Cypriot north outside.

Source: Xinhua