Blair fails to faze Athens
Greece brushed off comments by Tony Blair in Turkey on Saturday when the British prime minister backed Ankara’s bid to join the European Union and said that Britain will examine the possibility of allowing direct flights to the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus. Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis did not comment specifically on the commercial flights between the UK and the occupied part of Cyprus but dismissed Blair’s comments as being politically motivated. She said the only thing that mattered is the decision reached by all 25 EU member states to partially freeze Ankara’s accession talks until it meets certain commitments. While in Ankara, the British prime minister said he would like see Turkish Cypriots have access to direct flights to and from the UK. «This is something I would like to do,» said Blair. «The problem is whether lawfully, under international agreements that cover aviation, we are able to do so. If it is lawfully possible, then I would like to see us do it.» Only Turkey and Azerbaijan allow direct commercial flights to the occupied part of Cyprus.
