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Allowing Greek Cyprus to take over the rotating EU presidency in July 2012 without a unification deal for the divided island would “freeze” relations between Turkey and the European bloc, the Turkish foreign minister said Wednesday, reports the Hürriyet Daily News.
“If the Greek Cypriot administration delays negotiations and assumes the EU term presidency on its own, Turkish-EU relations would freeze,” said Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, speaking at a joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Hryschenko.
If this were to happen, it would be out of the question for Turkey to accept the Greek Cypriot administration as its EU interlocutor, Davutoğlu said.
“We do not believe that Turkey and the EU can continue relations in a case where the Greek Cypriot side assumes the EU term presidency before a solution is found in Cyprus. I told [EU Commissioner Stefan] Fuele that we should therefore take measures [to solve the Cyprus issue] from now on,” the Turkish foreign minister said.
According to Davutoğlu, such measures should be aimed at finding a solution to the Cyprus dispute by 2012, allowing a new, unified state to assume the EU Presidency. “The EU and the Greek administration are facing a choice between two visions,” he said. It is time to make strategic decisions in Turkey-EU relations, Davutoğlu said, adding that Ankara displayed its determination by setting up a European Union Ministry in the new government. “The same determination should be shown by the EU as well,” he said.
Responding to Davutoğlu’s remarks later in the day, EU Commissioner Fuele said it was “not the right time to make these sorts of statements.” “This term is the right time to accelerate Turkey-EU relations, the reform process and membership negotiations,” he said. Turkey’s chief EU negotiator took a softer tone, saying the situation would not be so different than it is currently even if a divided island takes over the EU presidency.
At a separate press conference with Fuele, EU Minister Egemen Bağış said if a divided Cyprus assumes the EU presidency, there would be no change from Turkey’s point of view, but the situation would be similar to what was seen during previous term presidencies, when Ankara opened zero chapters in its accession negotiations.
Calling for the EU Commission’s support, Bağış said Turkey cannot be the “excluded child of the EU town” and suggested “dialogue, solidarity and honesty” in order to turn a new page. He added that none of the artificial obstacles can sabotage Turkish-EU relations. Fuele meanwhile repeated his calls to Ankara to abide by the additional protocol, saying the EU wants to see progress in Cyprus now that the elections are over in Turkey. “Why is Turkey not fully implementing the protocol?” he asked Turkish authorities, calling this a key step.
“Turkey expects the EU to comply with its April 26 commitments” to ease sanctions on the northern part of Cyprus, Bağış said in a swift response.
The European Union says Ankara must meet its pledge to open up to traffic from the Greek Cypriot part of the divided island as part of a 2005 agreement known as the Ankara protocol; Turkey says the EU should end its blockade of the Turkish Cypriot enclave. Turkey officially does not recognize Greek Cyprus as a state.