C O N T E N T S
I. RELATİONS VVİTH EUROPEAN STATES AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
II. CYPRUS İSSUE AND THE ANNAN PLAN III. RELATİONS WITH THE UNITED STATES IV. RELATİONS WITH MİDDLE EAST AND
NORTHERN IRAQ QUESTION
V. RELATİONS WITH RUSSİA, CAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASİA
VI. OTHERS AND DOMESTİC ISSUES
I. RELATİONS WITH EUROPEAN STATES AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
January 1- Turkey's top military and political leaders welcomed a December decision of European Union leaders to open accession talks with Turkey but said the negotiations should not include discrimination or conditions.
Jaııuary 2- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül assessed outcomes of the European Union's Dec. 17 summit at a speech in Parliament during debates över the 2005 national budget.
January 2-Turkish and European Union leaders reached a historic compromise on Dec. 17 as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agreed to make a
'Prepared by Research Assistants Özge Özkoç and A. Ozan Değer, Faculty of Political Science, Ankara University.
verbal commitment to expand a 1963 accord betvveen EU and Turkey to cover ali nevv members of the group.
January 3- Topping a tree-fılled hill on a small island in the Sea of Marmara off istanbul is a school, actually a seminary that belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church. It vvas opened in 1844 and went through various stages until its closure in
1971.
January 4- The conservative French daily Le Figaro tied a spectacular jump in popularity of right vving leader François Bayrou to his opposition of Turkey's European Union membership.
January 7- NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. James L. Jones held talks vvith Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Özkök during a visit to Ankara.
January 9- European Union capitals have thus far vievved Turkey's 41-year-long period of expectancy - of vvhich lately became an anxious vvait at the doors of Europe prior to the Dec. 17 summit vvhen the door vvas unlocked -- in the same emotive fashion as has Ankara.
January 13- Ankara voiced Turkish coastguard boats have been continuing to do their regular jobs near and off the disputed Kardak (Imia) rocks, in an apparent response to Greek allegations saying earlier this vveek that Turkish coastguard assault boats had anchored off the Kardak rocks.
January 13- Luxembourg's Ambassador to the United States Arlette Conzemius said his country vvould do its best during its European Union term presidency to resolve the Cyprus dispute.
January 13- European Commission's President Jose Manuel Barroso said issues such as Turkey's membership in the European Union should not "contaminate" the debate över the fırst-ever Constitution for the European Union.
January 15- Greece is prepared to close down the İskeçe (Xanthi) Turkish Union, established by the Turkish minority in Greece in 1927, on grounds of having the word "Turkish" in its name.
January 18- The United States must respect the European Union and let it advance at its ovvn pace in EU membership talks vvith Turkey, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said.
January 19- Hungarian Foreign Minister Ferenc Somogyi's recent visit to Turkey last November once again shovved the close cultural, political, military and social links that exist betvveen the tvvo countries.
January 19- Full respect for religious freedoms and granting legal status for non-Muslim minorities should be a condition for Turkey's membership in the European Union, said Italian Cardinal Camillo Ruini.
January 26- The French National Assembly vvas set to start discussing a package of constitutional changes including a cali for a referendum concerning Turkey's European Union membership.
January 27- Three Turkish ministers specially involved in the European Union harmonization process stood fırmly behind Turkey's EU bid by voicing their view that the EU's Copenhagen criteria vvere stili a priority consideration for the Turkish government.
January 27- Deputy Chief of Staff, Gen. İlker Başbuğ reiterated that Turkey doesn't recognize the alleged Greek national airspace of 10 miles över the Aegean Sea, vvhich has often led to accusations of violations.
January 28- President Jacques Chirac made a nevv appeal earlier this vveek for French voters not to let their vievvs on Turkey's bid to join the European Union cloud the vvay they vote in a referendum on the EU constitution this year.
January 28- Former President Süleyman Demirel said that Turkey can make a majör contribution to the dialogue and harmony of cultures vvithin the European Union and to its vvider geopolitical neighborhood.
January 28- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the World Economic Forum (WEF) vvould offer a chance to Turkish government for introducing Ankara's priorities on the eve of a term along vvhich Turkey vvould more closely interconnect vvith international capital and institutions, namely the European Union negotiation process.
January 28- Turkey's special envoy to Iraq, Ambassador Osman Korutürk vvas in London holding talks in the British defense and foreign offıces, tvvo days before critical elections in Iraq.
January 29- The French National Assembly approved a package of constitutional changes that includes a legal obligation to hold a referendum vote for any possible nevv members looking to join the European Union, including Turkey.
January 30 - Upcoming elections in Iraq dominated PM Erdoğan's agenda in World Economic Forum meetings in Davos, vvhich this year discussed "taking responsibility for tough choices."
January 30 - The French National Assembly agreed upon a package of constitutional changes that includes a legal obligation to hold a referendum on the entry of any nevv members to the European Union, including Turkey.
February 3- Members of a European Parliamentary committee called on the Turkish government to display a more effective policy regarding violence against vvomen and emphasized the importance of implementing the recent reforms in Turkey.
February 4- Visiting French National Assembly President Jean Louis Debre discussed allegations of an Armenian genocide at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the last century when he met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
February 5- French National Assembly President Jean Louis Debre suggested to the Turkish deputies he met that an independent international organization, for instance NATO, the United Nations or the Council of Europe, should investigate allegations of Armenian genocide at the hands of the former Ottoman Empire during the World War I years.
February 9- Turkey's possible membership in the European Union stands as one of the majör reasons for the French people's opposition to the EU draft constitution, a recently conducted opinion poll showed.
February 9- Dutch prosecutors on Tuesday accused 16 alleged terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party members of membership in a group that had plotted terrorist attacks, kidnappings and militant activity against the Turkish state, in the first majör Dutch case of its kind.
February 15- A package of constitutional changes that includes a legal obligation to hold a referendum on the entry of any new members to the European Union to be discussed by the French Senate today.
February 16- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pledged Ankara's support for the NATO membership of aspirant Albania, describing it as a 'key country in the Balkans.
February 16- A Council of Europe commission report criticizing Turkish efforts in maintaining European standards of religious freedom sparked a debate within the ruling party över whether Turkey should keep a reference to religion on identity cards and compulsory religious classes in schools.
February 18- The French Senate approved a package of constitutional amendments that allows for the holding of a referendum in France on Turkey's accession to the European Union.
February 19- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül played down an article that described Turkey as the 'sick man of Europe,' saying that the Turkish-U.S. alliance had strategic importance for both sides regardless of vvhat the Turkish or U.S.
February 24- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan dismissed criticism of slovvness in the govemment's preparations for upcoming accession talks vvith the European Union and said membership in the 25-nation bloc remained a top priority for his government.
February 26- Nicolas Sarkozy, nevv leader of the ruling French Union for a Popular Movement, has speculated that support for the European Constitution vvould be a facilitator that vvould decrease Turkey's chances of gaining full European Union membership.
March 1- Faced vvith charges of losing momentum in its preparations for upcoming membership talks vvith the European Union, Ankara said EU reforms remained a top priority for the government and told the 25-nation bloc that it had its ovvn expectations firom Brussels.
March 3- A delegation of senior Turkish diplomats tried to vvork out a deal vvith Brussels över a protocol that Turkey pledged to sign before it starts long-delayed accession talks vvith the European Union later this year.
March 3- Tvvo top Turkish diplomats met vvith European Union Commission offıcials in Brussels for talks över signing a protocol, vvhich Ankara fears could be misinterpreted as implying recognition of Greek Cyprus.
March 4- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül took a hard tone as he commented on charges from Hansjoerg Kretschmer, the European Union Commission's representative in Ankara, that Turkey vvas slovving dovvn reform efforts.
March 7- Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the Turkish government of exaggerating to the European Union the progress it has made in helping Kurds driven from their homes in the 1990s to return.
March 8- Top European Union offıcials, in Ankara for critical talks, condemned excessive use of force by Turkish poliçe in a demonstration marking VVorld VVomen's Day and asked Ankara to initiate an investigation into the incident.
March 9- Olli Rehn, the European Union's commissioner for enlargement, said images of poliçe beating demonstrators in istanbul hurts Turkey's image in Europe.
March 11- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan headed to Madrid for international talks on terrorism on the anniversary of last year's train bombings in the Spanish capital, vvhich killed 191 people.
March 16- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated Ankara's support for Macedonia's efforts concerning the integration of the country into NATO.
March 17- Albania and Turkey signed an agreement renevving their military cooperation, the Albanian Defense Ministry said. The tvvo countries signed the military cooperation agreement for 2005, the ministry said in a statement.
March 18- Cardinal Angelo Scola, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Venice and one of the most likely candidates to succeed Pope John Paul II, called on the
European community to be less defensive and fearful about the prospect of Müslim Turkey joining the European Union.
March 21-Ankara has articulated that there is neither a direct nor an indirect connection betvveen the issue of Turkey's recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide and Turkey's accession to the European Union.
March 24- Strong enthusiasm vvas observed in the predominantly Kurdish populated region of Southeastern Anatolia last year as teachers vvere allovved to vvrite the letters "q," "w," and "x," on blackboards after a series of reforms related to Turkey's European Union harmonization drive that allovved Kurdish language courses, nevvs and cultural broadcasts during the year.
March 25- A public opinion survey conducted in the European Union's six largest countries found that 55 percent of people surveyed vvould like Ukraine to become a member of the union and 45 percent vvere in favor of Turkish accession.
March 26- During a meeting Romanian Foreign Minister Mihai-Razvan Ungureanu and Abdullah Gül affırmed their vvill to improve the tvvo countries' political and economic cooperation.
March 26- Turkey and the European Commission agreed on the text of a protocol that vvould extend Ankara's Association Agreement vvith the European Union to the ten nevv members including Greek Cyprus.
April 1- Government's decision to delay the nevv penal code looked unlikely to get a cold reaction from the European Union, vvhich says the code's entry into force is a condition for opening Turkey's accession talks on time.
April 4- Fener Greek Patriarch Bartolomeos praised Pope John Paul II's efforts to reach reconciliation betvveen the tvvo churches, saying his death vvas a loss to ali Christianity.
April 11- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan headed to Norway for tvvo-day talks vvith top government offıcials of the key NATO ally.
April 13- Cooperation betvveen old-time rivals Turkey and Greece received a fresh boost vvhen offıcials agreed to introduce nevv confidence-building measures in the Aegean and declared readiness to further strengthen bilateral ties.
April 14- The Turkish Parliament's policy statement in 1995 declaring a Greek attempt to extend Greece's territorial vvaters from six to 12 miles as 'unacceptable' reflects the current policy, vvhich is stili valid and in force, Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ said.
April 18- Greek military offıcials ordered an investigation into the desecration of the Turkish flag during a goodvvill visit by Turkish officers and military students to the Greek War College.
April 20- Latvia, vvhich became a member of the European Union in the last enlargement wave in May of 2004, is ready to share its accession experiences vvith Turkey, due to start talks vvith Brussels in October, Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga said on Tuesday.
April 21- Turkey's top general signaled on Wednesday that the conditional support of the povverful military for Turkey's EU membership bid could wane if the country continued to be pressured for further concessions on Cyprus and if the EU allovved itself to be used as an intermediary by the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party in dictating to Turkey the PKK's separatist demands vvrapped in the form of cultural rights.
April 25- Greece has delivered a letter to Turkish authorities officially apologizing for an incident in vvhich a Turkish flag vvas desecrated during a goodvvill visit to the Greek Army War College by Turkish offıcers, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül said.
April 25- Turks and their World War I enemies gathered on the Gallipoli peninsula to remember hundreds of thousands of soldiers vvho died 90 years ago in one of the bloodiest vvars in history.
April 27- Australian Prime Minister John Hovvard held talks vvith his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in İstanbul.
May 3- The European Court of Human Rights is expected to issue a verdict on May 12 that could make vvay for the retrial of the imprisoned leader of the outlavved Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Turkey.
May 3- The Svviss Embassy in Ankara confırmed nevvs reports concerning the opening of a legal procedure in Svvitzerland against historian Yusuf Halaçoğlu, head of the Turkish Historical Society, due to his remarks delivered in Svvitzerland denying the occurrence of an alleged Armenian genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
May 4- NATO allies Turkey and Bulgaria have been diversifying their fıelds of cooperation as tvvo neighboring countries that aspire to become members of the European Union.
May 5- Vaclav Klaus, president of European Union nevvcomer the Czech Republic, vvarned Turkey about some delicate points of the EU accession process, saying that Turkey should not ignore 'details' during negotiations.
May 5- Germany remains committed to its position that Turkey must grant full freedoms to non-Muslim minorities, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder said.
May 8- Months before Turkey and the European Union are set to open accession talks, the mood in both Ankara and Brussels is far from bright, with increasing skepticism of each other's commitment to the membership process.
May 10- The European Union expressed concern about the rising nationalism in Turkey and criticized recent suggestions by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that the EU would play a role in breaking the country into pieces by insisting on cultural rights.
May 11- Portugal has reaffırmed its support for Turkey's European Union bid despite the possible negative consequences of a referendum to be held in member countries on the European Constitution.
May 11- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül said he hoped the European Court of Human Rights vvould issue a favorable verdict in the case of imprisoned leader of the outlavved Kurdistan Workers' Party Abdullah Öcalan but predicted a similar decision even if the Strasbourg-based court orders a retrial.
May 13- The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Turkish authorities did not grant imprisoned leader of the outlavved Kurdistan Workers' Party Abdullah Öcalan a fair trial vvhen they sentenced him for treason in 1999, pressuring Ankara to grant him a retrial despite fears of a possible nationalist backlash at home.
May 17- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, attending a summit of European leaders in Warsaw, said that Islamophobia vvas becoming one of the 'diseases' afflicting social life in Europe and compared it to anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia.
May 18- A disagreement betvveen Turkey and Poland över vvhether to include a reference to international humanitarian lavv in the section of a Council of Europe summit statement dealing vvith international terrorism threatened to vvar the Warsaw gathering.
May 20- A Greek Cypriot envoy has identifıed objections to a reunifıcation plan for Cyprus in preliminary talks this vveek at the UN headquarters, a move likely to help the United Nations assess chances for resumption of talks betvveen Turkish and Greek Cypriots on the island.
May 23- The Albanian Defense Ministry announced that Albania's military has completed the reconstruction of an air force base vvith $5 million of fınancial assistance from Turkey.
May 24- Turkey's bid to join the European Union may suffer a fresh blovv if German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Socialist Democratic Party relinquishes its ruling position to conservative rival the Christian Democratic Union in upcoming early elections.
May 26- Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said his country vvould
continue to be the main supporter of Ankara's EU aspirations after it opens accession talks vvith the 25-nation bloc in October.
May 31- Greece on Monday ruled out holding a referendum on vvhether
Turkey should join the European Union, an issue that Greek observers argue partly influenced French voters to reject the EU constitution.
June 2- Weeks before a visit by a top Turkish commander to Athens, the
Greek army found the cadet responsible for desecrating a Turkish flag in an incident that had east a shadovv över a drastic rapprochement betvveen the tvvo countries.
June 14- The European Union agreed on Monday to revievv in mid-July
Croatia's progress tovvards starting membership talks in the light of its cooperation vvith the U.N. vvar crimes tribunal on locating a key fugitive suspect.
June 16-German lavvmakers have prepared a eross-party motion urging
Turkey to re-examine the disputed killing of an estimated 1 million ethnic Armenians about a century ago.
June 21-Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos said that Turkey signing
an additional protocol vvhich extends the candidate country's 1963 Association Agreement to 10 nevv EU members, ineluding Greek Cyprus, vvould not mean offıcial recognition of the Greek Cypriots.
July 1-Turkish leaders held out hope that Ankara's bid to join the European Union vvould remain on track despite intense internal crisis vvithin the bloc after the EU's Executive Commission proposed a roadmap for accession talks vvith Turkey.
July 6-The Committee of Ministers from the Council of Europe decided to
postpone for several months debates över a European Court of Human Rights verdict on the case of the jailed leader of the outlavved Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
July 8-Turkey denounced deadly attacks on London's transport system and
urged greater international cooperation against terrorism.
July 12- The British diplomatic mission in Turkey has made books of
condolence available for those vvishing to sign their names in honor of the vietims of the July 7 terrorist attacks in London.
July 13-Foreign ministers of the European Union heavyvveights Britain and
Germany reiterated support for Turkey's membership in bid to quell grovving European skepticism about Turkish entry.
July 22-Macedonian Foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva said that his visit to
July 22-The European Court of Human Rights has decided to consider a complaint against Turkey över the violation of property rights and discrimination.
July 28-Britain gave assurances to Turkey that its signing of a protocol extending its customs union deal vvith the European Union to the 10 nevv members of the bloc does not mean Turkish recognition of the Greek Cypriot administration.
July 30-Turkey and the European Union late last night signed a key protocol that extends a customs union agreement to the 10 nevv members of the bloc, including Greek Cyprus.
July 30-Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos has vvarned that he vvill veto the start of Turkey's accession negotiations vvith the European Union if Ankara refuses to recognize and treat Greek Cyprus as a full and equal member of the EU.
August 2-The European Union Commission gave an initial thumbs-up to a Turkish declaration that its signing of a customs union protocol did not amount to diplomatic recognition of Greek Cyprus.
August 3-Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis postponed an offıcial visit to Turkey in August as pressure grevv for Ankara to recognize Greek Cyprus before starting EU accession talks on Oct. 3.
August 6-Turkish and Greek Foreign Ministry offıcials held the 3İst round of exploratory talks on Aegean issues in istanbul.
August 8-European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn said that the EU should stand by its promises to candidate Turkey vvith regard to the EU membership process.
August 17-European Union Scandinavian members Svveden and Finland have said accession talks vvith Turkey vvould start on Oct. 3 as scheduled amid rising concerns that a group of countries, including France, may try to block the membership process.
August 19- Shrugging off recent statements from European leaders raising questions about Turkey's bid to join the European Union, Ankara expressed confıdence that the accession talks vvith the 25-nation bloc vvould open on Oct. 3 as scheduled.
August 19-Turkey has asked Belgium to arrest Zübeyir Aydar, a senior member of the outlavved Kurdistan Workers' Party who is expected to hold a press conference in Brussels today, offıcials said.
August 20-Greek and Greek Cypriot leaders agreed on a common strategy on Turkey's bid to join the European Union but remained tight-lipped on details.
August 24-German opposition leader Angela Merkel reiterated her opposition
to full European Union membership for Turkey during her ongoing election campaign and said Turkish entry would overstretch the 25-nation bloc.
August 24- The European Union Commission said that Turkey had fulfilled
ali conditions for the start of accession talks and reiterated the talks should start on Oct. 3 as scheduled.
August 26-NATO's Allied Air Component Command from İzmir is leading
some 1,500 personnel and 68 aircraft, including two AWACS, in the Cooperative Key 2005 joint aviation exercise in southern Bulgaria.
September 8- Turkey and Albania have signed an agreement on Turkish
Armed Forces (TSK) assistance to the Albanian army.
September 13- Days ahead of the crucial start of Turkey's negotiations vvith
the European Union and only tvvo days after hosting a conference on the controversial Turkish-Kurdish issue, the European Parliament is prepared to host a conference on the Armenian issue on Sept. 22.
September 13- The main reason for Ankara's hesitation concerning a planned
visit by Pope Benedict XVI is that the original invitation for the visit vvas by Fener Orthodox Patriarch Bartolomeos and that the pontiff might use the "ecumenical" title for Bartolomeos.
September 14- Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartolomeos said there is
current contact betvveen Turkey and the Vatican över a papal visit and that he hoped to meet vvith Pope Benedict XVI soon.
September 15-Ambassadors of European Union countries once again failed
to patch up their differences on the vvording of a declaration they plan to issue in reaction to Turkey's refusal to recognize member Greek Cyprus and failed to come to an agreement on a common negotiating position for Turkey's entry talks, vvhich are scheduled to start on Oct. 3.
September 16-Turkey said it has given the nod to an official visit by Pope
Benedict XVI next year in an apparent brush-off of another invitation extended by Fener Patriarch Bartolomeos, vvho sought the pope's participation in the Orthodox Feast of St. Andrevv on Nov. 30.
September 17-Turkey's Kurdish politicians should formulate a clear policy
for the future that condemns violence and breaks from the outlavved Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), if they do not vvant to get lost in history, a member of the European Parliament has said.
September 20-A member of the Turkish Cabinet has evinced a measured
vvhich a so-called map of Kurdistan that included a part of Turkey's territory vvas displayed.
September 20-European Union envoys vvere close to a deal on the Hngering dispute över hovv to respond to Turkey's refusal to recognize Greek Cyprus in a declaration, vvhile European politicians and offıcials listened to Kurdish politician Hatip Dicle at a conference in Brussels held to address the much-debated Kurdish issue in Turkey.
September 21-Greek Cyprus has been sabotaging the European Union membership process and hijacking the rest of the 25-nation bloc for its ovvn interests, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül said during talks vvith representatives of EU members in Nevv York.
September 22-Europe's top human rights court earlier this vveek ordered Turkey to pay a total of almost 200,000 euros in 13 separate cases alleging violation of the human rights of the complainants.
September 22-The European Union ended vveeks-long intemal vvrangling and endorsed a joint declaration on Turkey's refusal to recognize Greek Cyprus, vvith a nod to Greek Cypriot demands that the question of recognition be linked to Ankara's process of accession to the EU.
September 23-The European Commission said candidate Turkey's implementation of its commitments vvould be closely monitored follovving the start of accession talks scheduled to commence on Oct. 3 after member states agreed on a joint declaration demanding that Turkey recognize EU member Greek Cyprus.
September 23-Turkey responded vvith a stern statement to a European Union declaration demanding that Ankara recognize Greek Cyprus during its accession process, as a vvar of declarations betvveen Turkey and the 25-nation bloc rages on.
September 23-Turkey hit back at a European Union declaration demanding that it recognize Greek Cyprus and open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot ships and planes, as a "vvar of declarations" raises tension betvveen Ankara and Brussels.
September 27-The British presidency of the European Union has proposed an amended version of the negotiating framevvork document, incorporating a Greek Cypriot demand that Turkey lift its blockage of Greek Cypriot participation in international organizations and agreements.
September 27-Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said that he expected the European Union to look favorably on Zagreb's efforts to track dovvn a fugitive general, vvhich are crucial to the start of Croatia's EU accession talks.
September 28-Austria remained steadfast in its opposition to a European Union draft negotiating framevvork document for accession talks vvith Turkey, raising
the possibility of an emergency session of the bloc's foreign ministers hours before talks are supposed to start.
September 29-Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) President
Mehmet Ali Talat vvarned that forcing Turkey to recognize Cyprus before the island's division is resolved could destroy prospects for a solution and potentially lead to civil vvar.
September 30-Turkey criticized the European Parliament for demanding
recognition of an alleged genocide against Armenians tovvards the end of the Ottoman Empire as a condition for membership in the European Union, a charge Turkey vehemently denies.
September 30-European Union representatives returned empty-handed from a
meeting that sought a deal on the terms of a negotiating mandate for accession talks vvith Turkey due to Austrian opposition forcing EU ministers to meet for last-minute talks.
October 1-Turkish Armenian Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan urged European
leaders to support Turkey's bid to join the European Union, saying postponing Turkish membership vvould harm regional stability.
October 4-Turkey and the European Union reached a historic agreement to
start long-awaited accession negotiations after exasperating, nerve-wracking bargaining that left Ankara vvith bruises and vvorries över coming crises in the process.
October 4-Turkey and the European Union overcame the latest hurdles for
opening the long-avvaited accession talks after intense debates both inside the bloc and betvveen the bloc and Ankara.
October 5-While its strategic NATO ally Turkey vvas facing a diffıcult time
rounding the last corner before the long-avvaited start of membership talks vvith the European Union, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice vvas having telephone conversations vvith European decision-makers.
October 6-European Parliament President Josep Borrell urged the Turkish
and Greek Cypriot leaders to restart talks at the highest level to end the island's 31-year division, reiterating support for a reunifıcation plan dravvn up by U.N. Secretary-General Kofı Annan.
October 6-A bid by a region of Austria to ban genetically modifıed (GMO)
crops and food suffered another blovv on Wednesday vvhen a top EU court rejected an appeal against a 2003 decision that such a ban vvas illegal.
October 7-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has admitted that disputes
any concessions to the Greek Cypriots before a settlement is found to the island's 31-year-long partition.
October 7-European Union Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said the commission vvas vvorking together vvith the British presidency of the bloc to restart vvork on adoption of tvvo regulations to allovv fınancial aid for and direct trade vvith Turkish Cypriots.
October 7-France's prime minister said that ali options are open in European Union membership talks vvith Turkey, including a 'privileged partnership.'
October 8-The European Court of Human Rights earlier this vveek ordered Turkey to pay compensation to a couple vvho applied to the court över the death of their son in 1998.
October 9-International diplomacy, the determined actions of Turkish leaders and Britain's strong efforts help break the impasse and place Turkey's EU vocation on a long, vvinding and open-ended trek.
October 10-Austria's vice chancellor said över the vveekend that Turkey lags far behind the European Union's economic, social and human rights standards and therefore should not be given full membership in the bloc.
October 10-A protocol Turkey signed earlier this year to extend its customs union deal vvith the European Union to the bloc's ten nevv members, including Greek Cyprus, vvill be debated in the Cabinet first before the government comes to an agreement.
October 12-Finnish Parliament Speaker and former Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen, vvho vvas expected to arrive in Ankara late last night, is to hold talks in Turkey as head of a high-level advisory group of the Party of European Socialists (PES).
October 13-As tvvo countries both striving to become members of the European Union, Turkey and Serbia and Montenegro have pledged closer political and economic cooperation.
October 14-Bulgarian, Greek and Turkish environmental activists and local offıcials have joined forces in order to fight against a Canadian company that has been conducting geological research looking for gold deposits in Bulgaria.
October 15-A year after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pledged that Turkey vvould join the International Criminal Court (ICC), the European Union, vvhich has a unifıed stance to support membership in The Hague court, looks forvvard to seeing progress in realization of this commitment.
October 16-After intense debates concerning Turkey's membership of the EU, official accession talks have begun. There were tense moments and arguments throughout the process, but an agreement vvas eventually reached.
October 18-Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül arrived in Helsinki for an official tvvo-day visit that is to be the first visit abroad to a European Union member country follovving the launch of Turkey's accession talks vvith the bloc on Oct. 3.
October 19-Ali Babacan, Turkey's chief European Union negotiator, held a meeting vvith members of a group that vvill participate in a representation meeting in Brussels concerning the screening process of Turkey's legislation in the "science and research" chapter, vvhich is the first of 35 chapters.
October 21-Members of the European Parliament called on Turkey to allovv a Greek Orthodox theology school closed 34 years ago to reopen and asked Turkey to recognize the "ecumenical" title of the Greek Orthodox patriarch in istanbul.
October 22-The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Turkey had violated the human rights of former members of the novv-defunct Democracy Party (DEP) vvho had complained to the court for being unfairly convicted of "making propaganda of a terrorist organization" in 1993.
October 22-Turkish authorities should vvork out a formula to reopen a closed Greek Orthodox theological school and take steps to improve religious freedoms in the country, said a member of the European Parliament, criticizing Turkey's efforts in the fıeld as insuffıcient.
October 23-Triangular cooperation among the Turkish government, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and NATO triggered by the disastrous earthquake in Pakistan represents a fortunate and most fıtting response to the need expressed by Jan Egeland.
October 26-Athens has claimed that Turkish aircraft violated Greek airspace and its Flight information Region (FIR).
October 26-Greek Cyprus and former colonial povver Britain vovved to tum över a nevv leaf in relations after bitter vvrangling över the European Union's decision to open accession talks vvith Turkey earlier this month.
October 28-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met vvith his European Union counterparts in London at the first gathering of the bloc's leaders since the Oct. 3 formal opening of accession talks.
November 1-A suspected member of a terrorist group accused of involvement in the 1996 murder of a prominent Turkish businessman in istanbul cannot be tried by Belgian courts for crimes she committed in Turkey, an appeals court in Belgium ruled.
November 2-Turkey criticized Belgium for refusing to try Fehriye Erdal, a
leftist Turkish militant, for the alleged involvement in the murder of a leading businessman in the last decade and said the attitude vvas damaging to the fıght against terrorism.
November 3-The family of prominent businessman Özdemir Sabancı vvho
vvas murdered in Turkey almost a decade ago is seeking to overturn a Belgian court's ruling that it could not try a Turkish vvoman blamed by Ankara for the killing.
November 11-A day after the European Union vvarned of a slovving dovvn in
the pace of reforms, Turkey expressed satisfaction that the EU assessment contained no element that could potentially hinder its path tovvards membership.
November 14-The Greek prime minister's long-avvaited visit to Turkey does
not seem likely to take place in 2005, contrary to Ankara's expectation that it might take place by the end of the year.
November 22-Turkish and European Union experts met in Brussels for an
exploratory screening on the right of establishment and freedom to provide services, one of the 35 chapters into vvhich the EU's legislation is divided.
November 23-The foreign ministers of European Union member states vvere
unable to reach a consensus över tvvo regulations proposed by the European Commission to revvard the Turkish Cypriots for their support of a UN reunifıcation plan last year.
November 26-Turkey and the European Union held an exploratory session
screening Turkish legislation regulating free movement of capital.
November 28-The leaders of Spain and Turkey launched a UN led-initiative,
the Alliance of Civilizations,' designed to ünite Western and Müslim states to fıght radical islam and 'close the breach' betvveen the Western and Islamic vvorld.
November 28-European and Mediterranean-rim leaders gathered in Barcelona
for a fırst-ever summit meeting betvveen the regions aimed notably at agreeing on an anti-terror pact and reducing illegal immigration.
November 29-Bureaucrats from Turkey and the European Union Commission
held a detailed screening session of Turkish legislation regulating public tenders.
November 29-The European Union's top enlargement official criticized
Turkey's reform efforts after the formal opening of accession talks last month, complaining of a slovving dovvn in the reform pace and telling Turkey to step up the vvork.
December 1-German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday that
Turkey is not guaranteed entry into the European Union and that it must meet a series of stringent criteria.
December 9-Denmark's prime minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said the outlawed Kurdistan VVorkers' Party has been accepted as a terrorist organization in his country and that likewise ali other European Union member countries have listed the organization as a terrorist organization.
December 9-A European anti-torture committee has reported a decrease in cases of torture and ill-treatment in Turkey's prisons and detention facilities.
December 16-Greek President Karolos Papoulias received Turkish Interior Minister Abdülkadir Aksu along vvith Iranian and Pakistani ministers vvho vvere in Athens for a meeting on immigration and human traffıcking.
II. CYPRUS İSSUE AND THE ANNAN PLAN
January 8- Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said early elections in the northern part of the divided Cyprus Island that is slated for Feb. 20 vvould not be a barrier for any efforts to resolve the Cyprus dispute.
January 8- Non-governmental organizations in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus have sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Kofı Annan, calling on him to undertake an initiative so peace talks can resume on the island and be fınished before Oct. 3, 2005.
January 10- Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) President Rauf Denktaş said the KKTC government had taken "an extremely fine initiative" by ruling to open the Girne (Kyrenia) and Magosa (Famagusta) ports for commercial shipping betvveen the Greek Cypriot administration and Turkey, as vvell as other countries.
January 14- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he hoped to meet vvith UN Secretary-General Kofı Annan soon for a resumption of talks över a settlement in Cyprus.
January 14- Jean-Claude Juncker, prime minister of European Union term president Luxembourg, said Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos' visit next month to Luxembourg vvould offer a chance to discuss possible EU contributions to a resolution of the Cyprus dispute
January 14- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he hoped to meet soon vvith U.N. Secretary-General Kofı Annan for a resumption of reunification talks in Cyprus.
January 15- This month's World Economic Forum meetings in Davos, Svvitzerland, could give a boost to a resumption of efforts for a solution in Cyprus, vvith Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reportedly set to ask U.N. Secretary-General Kofı Annan to restart his good offıces mission vvhen the tvvo meet on the sidelines of the international gathering.
January 18- A 10-member team of four doctors and six nurses from the The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus joined a Turkish Red Crescent team, vvhich headed to Indonesia to aid relief efforts follovving last month's quake-triggered tsunami disaster.
January 18- Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) eye intensifying diplomacy in the coming vveeks and months to revive collapsed reunifıcation efforts in Cyprus but Greek Cypriot reluctance to return to talks stands as a majör obstacle to initiate the process.
January 19- Efforts for a settlement on the divided island of Cyprus must pick up momentum, French Minister for European Affairs Claudie Haignere said after a meeting vvith George Iacovou, the Greek Cypriot foreign minister, on the island.
January 19- Kypros Chrysostomides, the Greek Cypriot government spokesman, said that Turkey needed to extend its customs union agreement to ali members of the European Union before Oct. 3, the date set by the EU for starting Turkey's membership negotiations.
January 20- The governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) has for the first time conveyed an official invitation to a Greek Cypriot political leader.
January 24- Political vigor on the eve of early elections on the Turkish part of the divided island of Cyprus has been reflected in Turkey via meetings betvveen Turkish Cypriot leaders and the Turkish government.
January 25- For the first time in decades, tvvo Turkish Cypriot deputies attended a session of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) after the assembly agreed to allovv Turkish Cypriot deputies to participate in its sessions last year.
January 25- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met vvith tvvo Turkish Cypriot opposition leaders in istanbul ahead of parliamentary elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) on Feb. 20.
January 27- Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos has threatened to take any European Union decision for direct trade vvith Turkish Cypriots to the European Court of Justice.
January 27- Greek Cypriot Defense Minister Kyriakos Mavronikolas disputed Turkish Land Forces Commander Gen. Yaşar Büyükanıt's earlier remarks describing Turkish troops on the island of Cyprus as 'invaders' and said those remarks have been mirroring Ankara's exact intentions.
January 27- Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat held talks in Brussels vvith senior European Union representatives aimed at urging them to exert efforts to ease the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots.
January 29- Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat compared the Greek Cypriot administration vvith Austrian far-right leader Jörg Haider, saying the European Union should exclude the Greek Cypriots due to their uncompromising attitude över fınding a resolution to the Cyprus dispute, as it had excluded Haider upon his glory in elections.
February 2- A spokesperson for European Union Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, Jean Christophe Filori, vvarned that Turkey's accession negotiations vvith the EU could not begin unless Ankara signed a harmonization protocol expanding its association agreement vvith the EU to include nevv bloc members, including Greek Cyprus.
February 3- Ankara and Greek Cypriots have been vvaiting for a precedent decision from the European Court of Human Rights as it could pave the vvay for thousands of other cases against Turkey, accusing it of preventing Greek Cypriots of using their properties since 1974.
February 4- Turkey has no intention of recognizing the Greek Cypriot administration in Cyprus until there is a lasting settlement on the island, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül said.
February 5- The European Union Commission and the Greek Cypriot government have agreed on broadening the scope of novv restricted inter-island trade to boost economic links betvveen estranged Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
February 6- The Turkish side made a mistake vvhen it thought that pushing for recognition of the Turkish Cypriot state in the immediate aftermath of April 24 referendum on the island on a reunifıcation plan vvould be "too much," and the time may novv be right for a "public diplomacy" to spell out some of the home truths that have mostly gone unnoticed about hovv and why the Cyprus reunifıcation bid failed.
February 7- Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Serdar Denktaş said the Greek Cypriots have been trying to drag the Cyprus dispute out by carrying it under the European Union umbrella, in a bid to start a nevv process that vvill lead to diffıculties both for Turkish Cypriots and Ankara.
February 8- Greek Cypriot Defense Minister Kyriakos Mavronikolas made public the Greek Cypriot administration's intention to buy nevv vveapons saying that the Greek Cypriot army's armament systems needed to be modernized.
February 9- Ankara voiced Turkey's vvill for a permanent resolution to the Cyprus dispute reiterating that it vvas the Greek Cypriots vvho should take a step forvvard in order to pave the vvay for reaching a resolution formula.
February 11- The Greek Cypriot administration reiterated that main opposition leader Nikos Anastasiades, vvho is visiting Turkey and vvas preparing for
talks vvith Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül, is not authorized to represent the administration's policies.
February 12- Greek Cypriot public opinion attributes high importance to main opposition leader Nikos Anastasiades' Turkey visit as they believe that he has been conducting 'shadovv diplomacy' as a part of Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos' government policy.
February 12- Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos attacked U.N. Secretary-General Kofı Annan for not being objective in his stance tovvards Turkish and Greek sides on the island.
February 13- A July 2003 article published in the Greek Cypriot Sunday Mail criticized Tassos Papadopoulos for his contradictory comments on the Annan plan during and after the March 2003 talks vvith U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in The Hague.
February 14- The Turkish Cypriot foreign minister said the time had come to teli Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos to 'stop' before the prestige of U.N. Secretary-General Kofı Annan is further damaged by Papadopoulos' intransigent attitude tovvards efforts to reach a settlement in Cyprus.
February 15- Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat, follovving a meeting vvith the European Commission in Brussels, voiced hope for the European Commission's support in easing the economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriots.
February 18- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has criticized the United Nations, saying it failed to exert a dominating influence on issues such as the 'quagmire' in Iraq and the Cyprus dispute.
February 18- A visit by U.S. businessmen to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) attracted vehement criticism from Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos, vvho believes such actions are provoking the feelings of Greek Cypriots.
February 19- Turkish Cypriots have seen the United States and the European Union modestly stepping up efforts to end their decades-old isolation ahead of elections for the Turkish Cypriot Parliament.
February 19- Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Serdar Denktaş appealed to U.N. Secretary-General Kofı Annan to vvork to resume reunifıcation talks on the divided island and added that the reluctant Greek Cypriot leadership must take steps to resume the stalled peace process.
February 19- In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofı Annan, Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Serdar Denktaş said the Turkish side vvas ready to resume reunifıcation talks vvith the Greek Cypriots in a fresh, U.N.-backed initiative.
February 21- Turkish Cypriot politicians, casting their ballots for new members of the 50-seat Republican Assembly, agreed on the historical importance of election results as the new Turkish Cypriot government will probably undertake a fresh negotiation process for reaching a solution on the Cyprus dispute.
February 21- As Turkish Cypriot politicians were referring to a probable negotiation process aimed at resolving the Cyprus dispute, Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos played down a new UN-led attempt, saying that UN Secretary-General Kofı Annan actually doesn't have any plans for a nevv attempt on Cyprus.
February 21- Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat savored his landslide victory in Sunday's elections as a development 'opening a nevv era' and 'reversing the course of history' on the divided island of Cyprus, but challenges lie ahead of the pro-reunifıcation leader both at home and in the international arena.
February 21- Turkish Cypriots east their votes to elect nevv members of the 50-seat Republican Assembly, vvith results likely to reflect the Turkish Cypriot vvill concerning the means by vvhich they hope to see a policy on resolving the Cyprus dispute formulated.
February 23- Turkey came under pressure from its European allies in NATO to revise its policy of excluding Greek Cyprus from the cooperation mechanism betvveen the military alliance and the European Union, saying it is blocking the vvhole process of dialogue betvveen the tvvo institutions.
February 23- Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos vvas at odds vvith the European Union and the United States, vvhich both hailed the election victory of Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat as a sign of strong Turkish Cypriot commitment to the reunifıcation of the island.
February 27- The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee adopted a critical tone in assessing Greek Cypriot position vis-â-vis settlement efforts after April 24 referenda on the island and recommended the British government "encourage Cyprus to adapt to European Union values and methods of vvorking."
February 28- The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRİ) established by the Council of Europe earlier this month made public its report on racism in Turkey together vvith its reports on the situation in Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
March 1-The European Union's term presideney and its Executive Commission looked divided över candidate Turkey's preparations for upcoming negotiations, vvhile Ankara dismissed any slovving dovvn in the process.
March 1- Winner of the Turkish Cypriot Parliamentary elections held earlier this month, current Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat's Republican Turks' Party (CTP), announced that the party vvould nominate a member of the party for
presidential elections slated for April 17. The CTP didn't name its candidate; hovvever, Talat is believed likely to be the candidate named.
March 5- Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktaş gave a mandate to form a government to current Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat, vvinner of the parliamentary elections and Republican Turks' Party (CTP) leader, follovving an oath-taking ceremony of nevv members of the 50-seat Republican Assembly.
March 5- Olli Rehn, the EU's enlargement commissioner, praised the Turkish government tvvo days ahead the European Union ministerial Troika meeting to be held in Ankara on Monday, saying Turkey has been enacting 'courageous and fast' reforms but at the same time urging Ankara to immediately expand its association agreement vvith the EU to include nevv bloc members, including Greek Cyprus.
March 5- A Greek Cypriot minister's remarks confırmed Ankara's concerns that the Greek Cypriot government has so far deliberately prevented efforts to reach a resolution to the Cyprus dispute in order to be able to carry the issue to the European Union platform.
March 7- Ankara is to host a crucially important European Union Troika meeting today, the first such high-level meeting since Dec. 17, vvhen the European Council agreed on Oct. 3 as the date to open entry talks vvith Ankara.
March 8- The European Union has been planning to appoint a special representative to take part in a fresh attempt to resolve the ongoing Cyprus dispute; hovvever, it hasn't yet discussed this plan vvith the parties involved.
March 9- Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat has announced he vvill run in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus presidential elections in mid-April, a move likely to cause a shift in Turkish Cypriot politics and change the composition of the nevv government.
March 11- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pressed Greece and Greek Cyprus to take steps to facilitate resumption of peace talks in the divided island of Cyprus, saying they should be the first to act as Turkey has already done its share.
March 17- Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said that his government vvould regard itself as having majority support both from the Turkish Cypriot Parliament and people vvhile it pursues the country's policies.
March 19-A public opinion survey conducted on the Greek part of the divided island of Cyprus reflects the pessimism of the Greek Cypriots about reaching a resolution to the decades-long Cyprus dispute. It also revealed that the majority of Greek Cypriots are against Turkey's European Union membership.
March 19-The United Nations denied it had received an official request from the Greek Cypriot leadership to restart talks on reunifıcation of the divided island of Cyprus.
March 22-Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said that Turkey should soon sign a protocol extending its Association Agreement vvith the European Union to the ten nevv EU members, including Greek Cyprus, an issue that involves detailed technical debates betvveen Ankara and Brussels.
March 23-Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat urged Russia to ease the isolation of Turkish Cypriots and contribute to a fresh negotiation process in order to reach a resolution on the decades-long Cyprus dispute.
March 23-Greek government spokesman Evangelos Andonaros said that 25 members of the European Union expected candidate Turkey to fulfıll its obligations before the start of Turkish accession negotiations vvith the union.
March 25-Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül has defended his government's policy to end the long-running division of Cyprus and said the Greek Cypriots deceived and shocked the international community by rejecting a U.N. blueprint that aimed to reunite the island under a federal umbrella last year.
March 26- Greek Foreign Minister Petros Moliviatis after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington said Athens vvould back a solution to the divided island of Cyprus based on a modified U.N. peace plan.
March 26- Turkey and the European Commission agreed on the text of a protocol extending Ankara's Association Agreement to new members of the European Union, including Greek Cyprus and Ankara has asked Brussels to initiate the process of signing of the protocol.
March 28- The European Commission has sent a letter initiating the process of signing a protocol extending Turkey's 1963 Association Agreement to the 10 nevv members of the European Union, including the Greek Cypriot administration, vvhich is not recognized by Ankara.
March 29- Eventual signing of a protocol extending Turkey's customs union agreement vvith the European Union to the nevv members of the bloc, including Greek Cyprus that is not recognized by Ankara, may not take place before the second half of 2005, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül said.
March 29- Argentina, a temporary member of the UN Security Council, pledged support to Turkey in order to win UN approval from a report by its secretary-general, Kofı Annan, that urges the international community to serap economic sanetions on the Turkish Cypriot side of the divided island of Cyprus.
March 29- Turkey and the European Union agreed on the text of a protocol extending Turkey's customs union deal vvith the bloc to its nevv members, including Greek Cyprus, but final approval is not likely to come before fiery debates and completion of a long and complicated process.
March 30- Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, vvho is expected to be elected president in elections slated for April 17, announced that he vvould apply to the United Nations to restart the negotiation process on the Cyprus dispute after the elections.
April 2- Europe's top human rights court ruled that Turkey had violated the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in a case opened by İlkay Adalı, the vvife of Kutlu Adalı, vvho vvas killed in an extra judicial murder in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
April 6- UN Secretary-General Kofı Annan's cali for the Greek Cypriot leadership to list its objections to his plan for reunifıcation of Cyprus is unacceptable unless Annan makes his plans clear on hovv to use them in any nevv negotiations, said Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister George Iacovou.
April 9- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül dismissed any revision in Turkey's position on territorial disputes vvith neighboring Greece in the Aegean, one day after the parliamentary speaker suggested reconsideration of the Turkish policy describing any expansion of Greek territorial vvaters in the Aegean as a 'casus belli,' a reason to declare vvar.
April 12- Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos criticized U.N. Secretary-General Kofı Annan's reunifıcation plan for Cyprus as biased and demanded changes to make the blueprint functional and viable.
April 13- Ankara's future signature on a protocol extending Turkey's current European customs union deal to the EU's nevvest members, specifically Greek Cyprus, vvill promote the reunifıcation of a divided Cyprus as it enhances the chance for reaching a resolution, European Union's Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said.
April 13- The Greek Cyprus National Council, vvhich brings together political party leaders, discussed possible modifıcations to a UN blueprint that envisions an end to the island's division under a federal umbrella.
April 15- The idea of the European Union playing a more active role in Cyprus peace efforts has gradually been taking root, said Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos.
April 16- Outgoing Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktaş, vvho has led Turkish Cypriots for decades and is set to leave the presidency after tomorrovv's
elections, said that his proudest moment was declaring independence for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
April 18- The Turkish Cypriots, who have faced international isolation for decades even after supporting a UN reunifıcation plan last year, vvent to the polis to replace veteran leader Rauf Denktaş, vvho has persistantly been opposed the plan.
May 2- Nevvly elected Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat asked the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofı Annan, to launch a nevv initiative for resolving the Cyprus dispute and sending a special representative to the divided island of Cyprus for fresh peace talks.
May 3- Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos said that the United States sought to launch a substantial and conclusive initiative in order to bring an end to the division of Cyprus.
May 6- Athens has indicated that their intent for a just, permanent and functional settlement regarding the reunifıcation of Cyprus is of foremost concern for the Greek government.
May 6- Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat said Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos' remarks urging Turkey to vvithdravv its troops from northern Cyprus in order to get a deal on the reunifıcation of Cyprus actually spelled a 'return to the pre-1974 period.
May 9- Turkish Cypriot Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Serdar Denktaş has stated that northern Cyprus vvill not accept any settlement beyond a peace plan proposed by UN Secretary-General Kofı Annan.
May 9- The coalition government of the Republican Turks' Party and the Democratic Party vvon a vote of confidence from parliament in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
May 11- The United Nations and Greece said that exploratory talks on a nevv bid to reunite Cyprus vvere in the pipeline, but Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos vvho campaigned against the UN's reunifıcation plan last year, said the idea of nevv talks vvas 'prematüre' because there vvas a long vvay to go before conditions for dialogue vvith the Turkish Cypriot side vvould emerge.
May 11- Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos said a peace deal vvith Turkish Cypriots vvas stili far avvay, playing dovvn expectations for a quick resumption of reunifıcation talks after the United Nations and Greece said exploratory talks betvveen Greek Cyprus and the U.N. vvere in the pipeline.
May 11- Linda and David Orams carved out their ovvn paradise tvvo years ago in the tiny northern Cyprus village of Lapithos, building a dream villa on the side of a mountain that slopes dovvn to the blue Mediterranean Sea.
May 13- A recent attempt by the European Union to ease the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriots is likely to come to a halt due to Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos' use of Greek Cypriot EU membership to put forvvard preconditions.
May 13- In a bid to demonstrate Washington's appreciation for the Turkish Cypriot administration's support for pro-settlement policies in the Cyprus dispute, a US congressional delegation is expected to visit northern Cyprus at the end of this month.
May 17- Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat vvarned in an intervievv published över the vveekend that he might close the crossing points betvveen the tvvo sides of the island if Greek Cypriots continued to push for restitution of their properties in the north.
June 7- UN Undersecretary for Political Affairs Sir Kieran Prendergast held talks in Ankara, his last stop before vvrapping up a regional tour to revievv chances for the resumption of reunifıcation talks in Cyprus.
June 15- A Greek soldier vvas killed after a land mine exploded in his hands during a de-mining operation near the northern border with Turkey, Greek military authorities said.
July 4- Former Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktaş suggested that a resolution to the Cyprus problem could be possible vvithin the European Union.
July 7- President Ahmet Necdet Sezer called for an end to the international isolation of Turkish Cypriots, describing the continuing embargo on the Turkish north as the most pressing problem on the island.
July 18- A group of Azerbaijani parliamentarians flevv to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' (KKTC) Ercan Airport from istanbul to attend July 20 celebrations marking the 3 İst anniversary of the Turkish intervention on the island.
July 20- Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat said the date July 20, 1974, vvhen the Turkish military intervened on the island, vvas a tuming point in the lives of Turkish Cypriots.
July 22- The parliaments of 15 countries, in addition to the Greek Cypriot administration, which is not recognized by Turkey, have adopted resolutions upholding allegations of Armenian genocide at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire in the last century, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül has said.
August 3-Days after signing a key European Union protocol extending a customs union deal to Greek Cyprus, vvhich critics said vvould undermine Ankara's special relationship vvith the Turkish Cypriots, Turkey vovved its support for the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) would continue in both the political and economic spheres.
August 10- Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat told a group of Turkish and Greek Cypriot youngsters at his presidential palace it vvas inevitable that Turkish and Greek Cypriots vvould live together in the end.
August 19- Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer announced that the Bostancı border gate in Güzelyurt vvould be inaugurated on Aug. 31.Soyer is toopen the Turkish Cypriot part of the gate together vvith Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) President Mehmet Ali Talat at the end of the month.
September 15- Pro-settlement Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat has called on the European Union to launch an effective initiative aimed at resolving the decades-long Cyprus issue instead of simply pushing Turkey for the recognition of Greek Cyprus.
September 17- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos engaged in small talk över the division of Cyprus on the margins of a U.N. summit meeting in Nevv York.
September 29- Recep Akdağ signed a cooperation agreement on health vvith his Greek counterpart, Nikitas Kaklamanis, at a ceremony held in Athens.
October 1- A group of right-vving activists held a demonstration in central Athens on Thursday to protest the broadcasting of a Turkish television series that has proved a huge hit vvith Greek audiences.
October 4- Hopes for a resolution to the Cyprus issue have been diminishing due to the attitudes of the European Union, the United Nations and the Greek Cypriot administration, Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Serdar Denktaş said.
October 7- The long-standing division of Cyprus became an issue for the European Union vvhen the Greek Cypriots joined the bloc in 2004, but the problem must stili be resolved through U.N.-led efforts, European Parliament President Josep Borrell said.
October 8- Greek Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos said he expected the United Nations to revive talks aimed at resolving the division of Cyprus novv that Turkey has begun accession negotiations vvith the EU.
October 15- The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) praised Azerbaijan for taking steps to ease the isolation of Turkish Cypriots and said the European Union should not take punitive action against the Caucasus country as a result of a Greek Cypriot campaign seeking the same.
October 17- Greek Cypriot government spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides has accused the United States of promoting secessionism by a planned meeting
betvveen US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.
October 18- Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat received an invitation to visit Washington on Oct. 28 for talks vvith U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a move hailed by Talat as "very positive," but likely to anger Greek Cypriots.
October 18- In a majör shovv of support for Turkish Cypriots, the United States officially extended an invitation to Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat to visit Washington for talks vvith Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Oct. 28.
October 19- Greek Cyprus launched a fıve-day, large scale military maneuver in and around Cyprus, breaking a military moratorium in the eastern Mediterranean that has been in place since 2001.
October 26- Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus urged the US administration and the United Nations to take action tovvards a solution to the long-running division of Cyprus.
October 27- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül has urged members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to abide by a United Nations' cali to lift restrictions that have been unfairly imposed on the Turkish Cypriots.
November 2- A Greek Cypriot politician on Tuesday entered the buffer zone dividing Cyprus and pulled dovvn the flag at a disputed Turkish guard post.
November 10- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül called on the European Union to more actively support a nevv process under UN guidance for a resolution to the Cyprus problem and said failure to fınd a comprehensive settlement on the island could hinder Turkey's cooperation vvith the EU on strategic matters.
November 18- Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos said he vvould meet vvith Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat only under the aegis of the United Nations.
November 19- As Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat has insistently been expressing a vvill to resume negotiations vvith Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos, a nevv joint initiative by the United States and the United Nations is under way for bringing the tvvo leaders together at a meeting.
December 3- UN Secretary-General Kofı Annan ruled out possibilities for appointing a permanent envoy for Cyprus, saying conditions vvere not yet ripe.
December 19- A parliamentary committee in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus approved a bili allovving return of property ovvned by Greek Cypriots before the island vvas divided into tvvo in 1974.
