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.
“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.
Out of the 35 policy chapters that candidates must negotiate, Turkey
has opened talks on only 13 since the negotiations began in 2005. Eight
chapters remain frozen as a sanction for Turkey’s refusal to open its
ports to Greek Cypriot vessels under a trade pact with the EU, with
France and Cyprus blocking several others. Fuele welcomed the new
program of the Turkish government announced by Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan last Friday and also the fact that Turkey had upgraded
its institutional framework by establishing an EU ministry.
The commissioner also said Parliament plays a central role in the
reform process, in terms of addressing certain deficiencies and making
changes in the criminal code and anti-terrorism law.
Speaking to CNNTürk later in the day, Bağış evaluated Davutoğlu’s
remarks, saying: “What Mr. [Davutoğlu] wanted to say is that our
relations with the EU presidency would be frozen, but it does not affect
relations with the EU Commission.”
What Turkey expects from EU on the Cyprus issue to avoid a crisis
during the EU Presidency in 2012 is “to support constructive policies of
the Turkish side in the Cyprus dispute,” an official from the Turkish
Foreign Ministry told the Hürriyet Daily News on Wednesday.
Our contact with Syria will continue
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said Ankara would keep in contact
with Syria in the upcoming days. Davutoğlu said he was considering
visiting Syria soon after the vote of confidence in the government and
the Libya Contact Group meeting this week.
Meanwhile, Davutoğlu said Turkey and Ukraine are planning to lift
visa restrictions for their citizens who wish to travel to the other
country.
/Hurriyet Daily News/