Hamamboculeri.org: Alternatif Haber,Ingilizce, 16 Kasim 2002
newswire
Huge backing in Turkish Cyprus for EU membership: poll
BRUSSELS, Nov 15 (AFP) - Nine out of 10 Turkish Cypriots consulted in an EU poll said they supported membership of the European Union, officials said Friday, as the United Nations stepped up efforts to reunite the divided island before it joins the EU.
But among Greek Cypriots -- whose part of the island is set to join the EU in the absence of a settlement -- support for accession stands at only 47 percent, according to the survey by the European Commission.
That figure represents the number of people saying EU entry is "a good thing". A further 34 percent of the Greek Cypriots polled said they were neutral on the issue, while 12 percent were opposed.
The EU would like to see a reunited Cyprus join the Union in 2004, but has made clear that it will welcome the internationally recognised Greek-Cypriot administration if need be.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan submitted a reunification plan to the ethnic parties on Monday which calls for a Swiss-style confederation, with two equal component states, within the EU.
Annan has asked for acceptance in principle of his plan within a week, and agreement on the basic issues before an EU summit in Copenhagen on December 12-13, when Cyprus is expected to be formally invited to join the bloc.
In all 10 countries expected to join the EU in 2004, support for membership averages 52 percent, the "Eurobarometer" poll conducted over September 2-October 16 suggested.
Support is strongest in Slovakia, with 54 percent describing EU membership as a good thing. At the other end of the scale, only 32 percent of Estonians think so.
Other surveys have showed support for EU membership in the candidate states at about 60 percent.
The 10 members-in-waiting are Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.