A United States congressional delegation chaired by Republican Congressman Ed Whitfield yesterday arrived in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and met with TRNC Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer and Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas. Soyer thanked the US delegation for their visit and support for the Turkish Cypriot people. "This visit is a kiss of life for us in our struggle for uniting Cyprus and solving the Cyprus issue," Soyer said. "We are as legal as the Greek Cypriots. The illegal thing is the Papadopoulos administration, which continues the separation." Meanwhile Whitfield called on Greek Cypriot administration leader Tassos Papadopoulos to take steps for Cyprus' reunification and end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, arguing that people and goods should move freely on the island. After completing its contacts on the TRNC, the delegation went to Ankara, where it was received by Justice and Development Party (AKP) Istanbul Deputy Egemen Bagis. "This visit can be considered as breaking the embargo for the first time since 1974," Bagis said. The delegation also visited Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at his office yesterday. Erdogan thanked the delegation for its positive contribution to the process on Cyprus and said that the strategic partnership between Turkey and the US would continue.

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