The Cyprus government reiterated on Wednesday that it rejects the Turkish proposals on the Cyprus issue and not to discuss it.

Acting government spokesman Christodoulos Pashiardis told a press conference that "we do not see how we can evaluate a proposal that in substance is not a proposal."

"This is Nicosia's position and we said from the beginning that the so-called proposals by Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gul are not proposals for us. They are merely proposals to reject and under no circumstances that can be accepted by us," said Pashiardis.

He added that if someone welcome the proposals or consider them constructive, "then there is a fundamental difference of opinion and I really wonder how they find them constructive that solely concern Turkey fulfilling its EU obligations and call on the Greek Cypriot side to pay for Turkey's obligations towards the EU."

Asked about the UN stance on the proposals, Pashiardis said that for the time being the UN has said nothing specific about the content of the proposals.

Pashiardis said that the proposals do not concern the substance of the Cyprus problem but only relate to creating impressions and "the (Cyprus) government are not dealing with impressions but the substance of the Cyprus problem".

A week ago, Turkey presented to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan a new action plan on Cyprus problem, which allows opening Turkish ports, airports and airspace to Greek Cypriot ships and planes if Turkish Cypriot isolation is lifted.

The plan also envisages northern Cyprus to be included as an economic entity into the EU's customs union and an unhindered direct trade between the two sides.

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 Greek Cypriots rejected in a referendum a UN reunification plan, which was approved by the Turkish Cypriot north.

After that, the Greek Cypriot south became an EU member representing the whole island, leaving the Turkish north, which is only recognized by Ankara, outside.

Source: Xinhua