Turkey 'must be held accountable for illegal immigration'

FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE 22.SEP.09
Turkey must be held accountable with regard to illegal immigration, Minister of the Interior Neoclis Sylikiotis has said.

Sylikiotis` remarks come ahead of a visit to Ankara later this year by Tobias Billstrom, the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council President, Swedish Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy and European Commission Vice President Jacques Barrot to request the implementation of a readmission agreement between Turkey and Greece and the conclusion of readmission agreements with all EU member-states.

The Minister was speaking at an EU Justice and Home Affairs Council during which the 27 EU Ministers reviewed progress in efforts to implement the June European Council conclusions on illegal immigration.

Sylikiotis referred in particular to the need for a readmission agreement with Turkey, as stipulated in the EU Summit conclusions.

``Turkey must be held accountable as it is proven that it is the main country of origin and transit stop of illegal immigrants in the EU,`` Sylikiotis stressed, who presented figures according to which 40% of Cyprus` illegal immigrants travel from Turkey to Cyprus` northern Turkish-occupied areas. Many of them cross the ceasefire line into the southern government controlled part of the country.

In 1974 Turkey invaded Cyprus and occupied 37 per cent of its territory and as a result the government of Cyprus is prevented from exercising effective control over that part of the country.

Furthermore, French Minister of Immigration Eric Besson presented today a proposal which notes that a readmission agreement must be signed between Turkey and the EU, adding that the 2002 EU Summit gave such instructions but negotiations did not advance due to Ankara`s negative stance. - (KYPE)