Turkish Cypriot leaders warned not to complicate Turkey's EU bid

Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin widened a growing breach with Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktash Saturday, telling him he should facilitate rather than complicate Ankara's bid to join the European Union.

In a statement issued a day after Ankara said it was ready to negotiate a settlement in Cyprus along lines proposed by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Sahin warned, "those who lead in Cyprus must adopt behaviour that facilitates rather than complicates Turkey's candidature."

Denktash, whose regime in northern Cyprus is recognized only by Turkey, has blocked the Annan plan, which is intended to reunite the Turkish and Greek-speaking halves of the island before the internationally-recognized Greek-Cypriot side joins the EU in May.

While EU leaders say the Greek-Cypriot side will join whether or not a reunification deal is completed, they have warned a lack of a deal could hurt Turkey's chances of opening formal entry negotiations.

Sahin also said it "wasn't normal those who are opposed to Turkey's European ambitions hold posts of responsibility," he said, according to the Anatolia news agency.

Although he did not mention Denktash by name, he said "the wise will understand" to whom he was referring. On Friday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said it was time for Denktash to change his advisers.

The disagreement between the two leaders came in the aftermath of the December 14 general election in Turkish Cyprus, which ended in a draw between supporters and opponents of the Annan plan.

Denktash refuses to discuss the plan unless it recognizes his pocket state.

The UN proposals envisage the island's reunification in a federation of two equal component states, and territorial adjustments in favour of the Greek Cypriot majority, which would require the displacement of thousands of Turkish Cypriots.

Turkey keeps about 30,000 troops in the breakaway territory.

The special US envoy for Cyprus, Thomas Weston, said in Ankara Saturday that the Annan plan was the only realistic option if Cyprus is to join the EU as a united entity.

It was a question of reopening a dialog that Denktash broke off in March and "to establish the necessary spirit of compromise." He said there was still time to achieve an agreement before Cyprus's accession.