Turkey has said that it will recognize the Greek Cypriot administration in Nicosia after a lasting solution is found under the auspices of the United Nations, local press reported Thursday.

According to the report, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul made the statements at a joint news conference late Wednesday following his talks with visiting French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy.

Talking about whether Turkey recognizes Nicosia, Gul told the reporters that "first of all they should work to find a solution to the Cyprus issue."

"There was the plan of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan last year. However, a solution could not be reached since Greek Cypriots rejected the plan," he said, adding "the European Union should warn Greek Cypriots that they have been damaging the union by keeping the Cyprus issue high on agenda all the time."

"A solution can be reached on the island only through mutual respect of the parties to each other. We hope that the E.U. would contribute to efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus issue," he said.

On his part, Douste-Blazy said that France wants resumption of talks between the two parties on the island of Cyprus to find a satisfactory solution, adding that the United Nations was the best organization to this end.

Noting that the issue had an impact on Turkey's E.U. entry negotiations, Douste-Blazy said that recognition of all members of the E.U. by Turkey would be a milestone in its E.U. membership process.

He said that France welcomed all new initiatives aiming to find a lasting solution, urging the two sides to restore the relation as soon as possible.

On Jan. 24, Gul told a press conference that Turkey has submitted an action plan to the United Nations in a bid to help reunite the divided island of Cyprus.

According to the plan, Turkish airports and ports will be opened to Greek Cypriot vessels and planes while the northern Cyprus ports will also be opened to international commerce.

It also proposed to hold a high-level U.N.-sponsored meeting, grouping Turkey, Greece, the Turkish Cypriot north and the Greek Cypriot south, to finalize the plan and its implementation.

However, Nicosia has rejected the plan, saying it is nothing new from Turkey's past stance.

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 U.N.-led efforts to reunite the island failed in April 2004, when Greek Cypriots rejected in a referendum a U.N. reunification plan, while it 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