Cyprus-Forum.com

[paaul12]

Turkey refuses to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot ships and planes until negotiations on the status of the war-divided island have concluded, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said Friday.

Under a customs agreement with the European Union, which Turkey is struggling to join, Ankara must extend a trade protocol to the 10 nations that joined the bloc in 2004, including Greek Cyprus, by the end of this year.

But Turkey does not recognize the Greek Cypriot government and refuses to open its ports to them unless the EU makes good on a promise to break the economic isolation of Turkish Cyprus.

"Recognizing the Greek Cypriots without solving the Cyprus question is not possible for us," Davutoğlu told media and experts at a conference in Brussels. The Greek Cypriot government, he said, wants "to force Turkey to recognize Greek Cyprus, which we will not do."

In 2004, a U.N.-backed reunification plan was scrapped after being rejected in a referendum by Greek Cypriots but backed by the Turkish Cypriots. New U.N.-brokered efforts to resolve the standoff are progressing slowly. The United Nations is eager to step up the pace for a Cyprus solution, but little progress was made during more than 40 meetings in the first phase of talks. The two have since returned to the negotiating table in a bid to bridge differences over power sharing and governance before touching on the more prickly issues of territory and security.

[barouti]

So what exactly is new about this stance?

It’s just regurgitated rhetoric for internal nationalist consumption as well as to temporarily make the Turkish Diaspora glee. And it will turn out to be an empty threat.

Who can remember when Turkey threatened to annex northern Cyprus if the RoC was admitted into the EU? I sure do. It got many a Turco beating their chest at the time, and who immediately got amnesia after Cyprus was admitted as a full member.

Note well, Turkey dictates nothing to the EU; the EU dictates its terms to Turkey.

[YFred]

So what exactly is new about this stance?

It’s just regurgitated rhetoric for internal nationalist consumption as well as for the Turkish Diaspora. And it will turn out to be an empty threat.

Who can remember when Turkey threatened to annex northern Cyprus if the RoC was admitted into the EU? I sure do. It got many a Turco beating their chest at the time, and who immediately got amnesia after Cyprus was admitted as a full member.

Note well, Turkey dictates nothing to the EU; the EU dictates its terms to Turkey.

Don't tempt fate, it may yet happen.

[barouti]

Don't tempt fate, it may yet happen.

Well, I think exkiwipat will be the most surprised, devastated and humiliated if this were to happen, since both Greeks and Turks already know this is has always been the aim of Ankara and the TC's for the last fifty years.

And I'm sure it's part of Turkish strategy is to make sure a resolution to Cyprus becomes the last thing they need to fulfill, or even maybe Ankara's final ace up its sleeve to assure membership. But it's a stupid move. Greece and Cyprus will definitely veto Turkey at the final hurdle. And most of Europe will be cheering us anyway (you do realise they really don't want you in the club). Then all this groveling to the EU would have been for nothing. You will be come a laughing stock ie European wanna-be's with egg in your face.

[YFred]

Don't tempt fate, it may yet happen.

Well, I think exkiwipat will be the most surprised, devastated and humiliated if this were to happen, since both Greeks and Turks already know this is has always been the aim of Ankara and the TC's for the last fifty years.

And I'm sure it's part of Turkish strategy is to make sure a resolution to Cyprus becomes the last thing they need to fulfill, or even maybe Ankara's final ace up its sleeve to assure membership. But it's a stupid move. Greece and Cyprus will definitely veto Turkey at the final hurdle. And most of Europe will be cheering us anyway (you do realise they really don't want you in the club). Then all this groveling to the EU would have been for nothing. You will be come a laughing stock ie European wanna-be's with egg in your face.

Your understanding of the situation needs to be further refined because it is not correct. EU wants Turkey to be close but not too close. They can get her to do all the dirty work without really suffering the consequences. This reminds me of the Cinderella story with the RoC and Greece being the two ugly sisters using their mother to make Cinderella do all the work and them just laze about and have a free ride. It just goes to show that we can learn a lot from children’s stories.

[insan]

Don't tempt fate, it may yet happen.

Well, I think exkiwipat will be the most surprised, devastated and humiliated if this were to happen, since both Greeks and Turks already know this is has always been the aim of Ankara and the TC's for the last fifty years.

And I'm sure it's part of Turkish strategy is to make sure a resolution to Cyprus becomes the last thing they need to fulfill, or even maybe Ankara's final ace up its sleeve to assure membership. But it's a stupid move. Greece and Cyprus will definitely veto Turkey at the final hurdle. And most of Europe will be cheering us anyway (you do realise they really don't want you in the club). Then all this groveling to the EU would have been for nothing. You will be come a laughing stock ie European wanna-be's with egg in your face.

Your understanding of the situation needs to be further refined because it is not correct. EU wants Turkey to be close but not too close. They can get her to do all the dirty work without really suffering the consequences. This reminds me of the Cinderella story with the RoC and Greece being the two ugly sisters using their mother to make Cinderella do all the work and them just laze about and have a free ride. It just goes to show that we can learn a lot from children’s stories.

A bunch of EU extremists(A lot of Christian democrats and some conservatives) that r against full EU membership of Turkey don't represent whole of EU, YFred... There is a considerable amount of EU states and political groups in EU that supports full EU membership of Turkey... so please refrain making overgeneralizations on whole of EU political groups.

[B25]

Turkey refuses to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot ships and planes until negotiations on the status of the war-divided island have concluded, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said Friday.

Under a customs agreement with the European Union, which Turkey is struggling to join, Ankara must extend a trade protocol to the 10 nations that joined the bloc in 2004, including Greek Cyprus, by the end of this year.

But Turkey does not recognize the Greek Cypriot government and refuses to open its ports to them unless the EU makes good on a promise to break the economic isolation of Turkish Cyprus.

And here we have it ladies and gentlemen, proof, here is the country thats has signed an agreement that has no intention of keeping, and we are expected to accept a solution agreement sign by the same crooks??? Not on your nelly, Turkey cannot be trusted, we don't trust them, the EU does not trust them, the whole world does not trust them, you cannot trust a criminal.

Thanks to pauul for bringing this to our attention AGAIN, timing was of the essence, thanks.


.

[paliometoxo]

way to go turkey... make mroe threats to get what you want... thats it

[Oracle]

Soon, no one will recognise Turkey. It will be just another of those Turcotribestans ...

[paliometoxo]

then eu should say to them when they stop ignoring un eu laws telling the army to get out then they will remove isolations... its ok for turkey to ignore all 100000 laws they are violating though isent it