Foreign Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Huseyin Ozgurgun, said Wednesday that the Greek Cypriot side had always abused Turkey's European Union (EU) membership process and that they sat at the negotiation table not in order to find a solution but rather to take away certain things from Turkey.

Minister Ozgurgun stressed that Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's statements made Wednesday were "a turning point".

Davutoglu's remarks have shown Turkey's stance, Ozgurgun noted.

In a statement released Wednesday, the TRNC Foreign Ministry said that Davutoglu's remarks underlining that the Republic of Turkey would never consider the Greek Cypriot administration an interlocutor if they assumed the EU presidency unilaterally in the second part of 2012, before a solution in the island, and that Turkish-EU relations would freeze in such a scenario were "a turning point".

The Turkish Cypriot side always took positive steps for a solution and it is a must for the Greek Cypriots to end playing games at the negotiation table and make efforts for a solution, Ozgurgun said.

The Cyprus problem must be solved before 2012. The new partnership in the island, after a comprehensive solution has been reached, should assume the EU term presidency, Ozgurgun added.

Davutoglu earlier on Wednesday said that, if the Greek Cypriot side assumed the EU presidency unilaterally in 2012, this would cause Turkish-EU relations to freeze.

In such a case, it would be out of question for Turkey to consider the Greek Cypriot side an interlocutor, Davutoglu had said.

AA