Turkish Cypriots Call for Unity
NICOSIA, Cyprus — Waving flags and olive branches, about 30,000 Turkish Cypriots marched through this divided capital Thursday to support reunification of Cyprus -- a prerequisite for membership in the European Union.
The demonstrators were demanding the resignation of Rauf R. Denktash, the leader of the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
The demonstration, the largest pro-EU rally held in the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus, comes after Turkish and Greek Cypriots failed to iron out their differences at the European Union summit in Copenhagen this month.
The EU invited Cyprus to join the economic bloc by 2004 and asked both sides to find a solution by Feb. 28. If no agreement is reached, only the Greek part of the island would enter the EU.
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