THE EU External Affairs Commissioner, Mr Hans van den Broek, yesterday called upon the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktash, to "bring your people out of isolation, out of exile" by entering into direct talks on a political settlement for Cyprus.

Mr van den Broek placed the onus for progress on the Turkish Cypriot leader by saying that the Cyprus President, Mr Glafkos Clerides, had declared his readiness for properly prepared talks and by asking Mr Denktash to "show the statesmanship to help bring the process forward".

Speaking at the conclusion of a 38-hour whirlwind visit to Nicosia where he met the leaders of both communities and Turkish Cypriot businessmen, Mr van den Broek, also told the Turkish Cypriots not to ask the EU "to recognise the independent state of northern Cyprus", recognised only by Turkey, but to work towards "a new chapter for Cyprus" in which the island would be reunited in a bizonal, bicommunal federation.

Mr van den Broek attempted to reassure the Turkish Cypriots by saying the EU would not ask them to renounce their traditional relationship with Turkey or its security guarantees. He suggested the exercise of the freedoms of movement, property ownership and settlement throughout the island could be postponed for an "interim" agreed period.

Clarifying a controversial position taken by the EU Council earlier in the week, Mr van den Broek said the Turkish Cypriots could participate in EU negotiations but only if "progress" was achieved in inter-communal talks. He stated that Cypriot accession would not depend on Turkish membership and that there could not be any "third-party veto" on Cyprus.

He rejected threats made by Greece and Turkey to block the eastwards expansion of the EU and NATO if the EU did not accede to their demands.