ATHENS, Feb 18 (AFP) - The Greek government Friday protested the visit to Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus by a group of Americans exploring business opportunities.
Assistant government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros said the visit was an affront to international legitimacy. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is recognized only by Turkey, which invaded the north of the island in 1974 in response to a Greek Cypriot coup in Nicosia aimed at uniting Cyprus with Greece.
Antonaros said any initiative aimed at the economic development of Cyprus "must respect international legality and UN resolutions," which recognize the Greek-speaking Republic of Cyprus in the southern two-thirds as the only legitimate government on the island.
The visit by the Americans was hailed by Turkish Cypriots as a means of breaking international sanctions against their territory.
The US ambassador to Cyprus, Michael Klosson, said Washington intended to support Turkish enterprises in northern Cyprus in order to end the international isolation of the territory and support efforts to reunite the island.
02/18/2005 16:44 GMT - AFP