ANKARA, Jan. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday blamed Nicosia for insolubility of the Cyprus question, saying that the entire world now knows that the Greek Cypriot administration is the responsible party for it.  

    In a TV address to the nation, Erdogan said the Greek Cypriot administration tries to skip the solution basis from the United Nations to the European Union (EU) instead of working for resolution.

    The goal of the Greek Cypriot administration is to create a pressure on Turkey within the scope of EU membership negotiations, he said, adding, "it is a wrong policy and will fail."  

    Erdogan said his government had been trying to enhance Turkey¡¯s relations with all countries and overcome stalemates and clashes since it had come to the power in November 2002.

    The Turkish government pursued a sincere and convincing policy to ensure a peaceful solution on the Cyprus island, but "we continue works to protect rights of Turkish Cypriot people and to defend the national cause," he added.

    Everybody should know that the Cyprus problem can only be solved in the United Nations and all the parties should advocate the efforts of the UN Secretary General," said the Turkish premier. 

    Erdogan stressed that the new action plan prepared to resolve the Cyprus issue will no way harm legal and political positions of the related parties.

    "We expect the UN and the European Commission to support this action plan and particularly the Turkish Cypriot party sincerely,¡± he said.

    Last Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told a press conference that Turkey has proposed to the United Nations an action plan 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, and the northern Cyprus ports will also be opened to international commerce.  

    Northern Cyprus should be included as an economic entity into the European Union's customs union, and unhindered direct trade between both sides of the island is ensured.

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

    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 April2004, 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 a EU member representing the whole island, leaving the Turkish north, which is only recognized by Ankara, outside.  Enditem