Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Excellent. I struck a good chord there. He acquitted himself extraordinarily well in the Council of Europe while continuing to work. He made a very good impression on Turkey's behalf.

I share the concerns about Cyprus. I have never stood in northern Cyprus and do not intend to do so unless there is a free northern Cyprus or at least a united Cyprus. Too many British and Irish people have bought properties in northern Cyprus whose title is questionable. In most cases they are not entitled to it because it was taken from the residents during the war. I am amazed at the status of Famagusta. It was one of the most beautiful cities in Europe in the 1960s and now it is a ghost town. Through goodwill on both sides, this issue must be resolved. As Deputy Crowe said, our difficulties were as extreme as those in Cyprus and I have no doubt that with the support of the Greek and Turkish Governments there will be an agreement there. I hope that will be pushed forward and I recommend that Turkey move in that direction as part of its application. It is a barrier to full membership of the EU. Most Irish people would be of that opinion. That aside, I welcome the Minister and his delegation and support the Turkish application for membership of the EU but there is a great deal of work to be done in the meantime. Turkey had acquitted itself very well in respect of Syria. Its support for humanitarian aid there is much respected. The situation is very difficult and tense. I commend the Turkish Government on the way it has handled that issue.