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Rice calls for Cyprus detente
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Cyprus yesterday to support Turkey's efforts to join the European Union, during a visit to Athens marked by violent protests.
- Reuters
- Published: 00:00 April 26, 2006
Athens: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Cyprus yesterday to support Turkey's efforts to join the European Union, during a visit to Athens marked by violent protests.
As Rice met her Greek counterpart Dora Bakoyanni and Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, riot police hurled teargas at thousands of demonstrators trying to march to the US embassy.
Police said nine protesters were arrested in the clashes, which wrecked at least 10 central Athens shops and four cars. No injuries were reported.
Rice, on a five-day trip to Europe that also includes Turkey and Bulgaria, said work needed to be done on Cyprus's 32-year division, a source of tension in Greek-Turkish relations and a major stumbling block to Turkey's EU hopes.
"We do believe that there needs to be good will and effort by Turkey, but there also needs to be good will and effort by Cyprus," Rice told a news conference.
She urged Cyprus to help Turkey's EU accession and ease the isolation of the breakaway northern Cypriot enclave, which is recognised only by Ankara.
Divided since Turkey invaded in 1974, Cyprus has evaded repeated UN efforts to re-unite the island in a federation. Greek Cypriots, running the island's internationally recognised government, rejected the latest plan in a 2004 referendum.
Bakoyanni said Greece had made "brave" moves to improve relations with Turkey but did not get the appropriate response.
"On the contrary, sadly, we often face provocations that are not in the spirit of good neighbourly relations or in line with Turkey's aspirations for full EU membership," she said.
About 2,000 protesters gathered in central Athens waving banners reading "Rice Go Home" and chanting anti-American slogans. When they tried to break a police cordon and reach the US embassy, they were pushed back with teargas.
Most of the leftist and anti-war activists turned back but a small group of self-styled anarchists continued to clash with police, retaliating with sticks, stones and petrol bombs and causing havoc in the city centre.
"This is an anti-war rally," said protester Panayiotis Hiundis, 26, a school teacher. "We are not protesting just against Rice, but the imperialist, war-mongering US government."
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