Cyprus-Forum.com

[Lit]

Cyprus sends tough signal to Turkey on its EU accession
English.news.cn 2011-01-10 04:13:52

NICOSIA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus gave on Sunday its clearest ever warning that it will not consent to Turkey's entry into the European Union before a solution to the Cyprus problem is found.

"We not only do not accept Turkey joining the European Union, but will also block any further progress in its accession negotiations,"Cypriot Foreign Minister Marcos Kyprianou told a state-run television station.

Kyprianou was commenting on a statement by his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu that no one should ever try Ankara's patience or put it before the dilemma of having to choose between the breakaway north Cyprus and the European Union.

Turkey sent troops to Cyprus in 1974 in response to a coup inspired by Greek army officers, occupying the Mediterranean island's northern part, which was later unilaterally declared into a breakaway state recognized only by Ankara.

"We will not either permit Turkey to blackmail its entry into the European Union in exchange for a Cyprus solution," Kyprianou said when asked to comment on a statement by Ahmet Davutoglu that Ankara would like a solution to the Cyprus problem to be connected to its EU accession.

Kyprianou said that Turkey's accession negotiations are already in trouble and it should move to solve the Cyprus problem if it wants its EU process to continue.

"It is hypocritical on the part of Turkey to talk about international law when it blatantly violates it by occupying territory of a member of the European Union and the United Nations, "Kyprianou added.

Almost half of Turkey's negotiating chapters have been frozen, some of them for refusing to extend recognition to Cyprus Republic and allow use of its airspace and ports by Greek Cypriot planes and ships.

The European Commission criticized Turkey in its evaluation report last November for not moving forward on its relations with Cyprus.

Kyprianou also commented on an upcoming visit to Cyprus by German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday, saying that Germany, having been a divided state itself, is in a position to better understand the need for the re-unification of the island.

"Her visit is a substantial one as far as the Cyprus problem is concerned,"Kyprianou said.

The Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities have been engaged in re-unification talks for almost 30 months but the negotiations were bogged down on the thorny issue of Greek Cypriot properties in the Turkish Cypriot north.

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has invited the leaders of the two communities to meet him in Geneva on January 26, in a bid to break the impasse.

However, the three-way meeting may have to be rescheduled, due to the poor health of Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, who underwent heart surgery in Ankara in late December. Two negotiating sessions in the UN-controlled buffer zone have been scrapped and two more scheduled until the Geneva meeting are in doubt.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/w ... 683083.htm

[humanist]

I support the government in its position on this matter. I would hope that he has the support of our EU sister nations in this. Unitary approach should be the EU approach.

[Gregory]

I support the government in its position on this matter. I would hope that he has the support of our EU sister nations in this. Unitary approach should be the EU approach.

http://www.sundayszaman.com/sunday/news ... sId=232012

[Klik]

Εεεεεετσι

I wanna see Turkey hiding behind USA's back again, when their relation with Israel is so tense at the moment. Nobody around to give you 11 years to remove armed forces from the place and Turkey can sit behind that ridiculous fence that will be built on the Greek border watching the EU telling them "no" once more

[Viewpoint]

Has Turkey responded?

[Kikapu]

Cyprus sends tough signal to Turkey on its EU accession
English.news.cn 2011-01-10 04:13:52

NICOSIA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus gave on Sunday its clearest ever warning that it will not consent to Turkey's entry into the European Union before a solution to the Cyprus problem is found.

"We not only do not accept Turkey joining the European Union, but will also block any further progress in its accession negotiations,"Cypriot Foreign Minister Marcos Kyprianou told a state-run television station.

Kyprianou was commenting on a statement by his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu that no one should ever try Ankara's patience or put it before the dilemma of having to choose between the breakaway north Cyprus and the European Union.

Turkey sent troops to Cyprus in 1974 in response to a coup inspired by Greek army officers, occupying the Mediterranean island's northern part, which was later unilaterally declared into a breakaway state recognized only by Ankara.

"We will not either permit Turkey to blackmail its entry into the European Union in exchange for a Cyprus solution," Kyprianou said when asked to comment on a statement by Ahmet Davutoglu that Ankara would like a solution to the Cyprus problem to be connected to its EU accession.

Kyprianou said that Turkey's accession negotiations are already in trouble and it should move to solve the Cyprus problem if it wants its EU process to continue.

"It is hypocritical on the part of Turkey to talk about international law when it blatantly violates it by occupying territory of a member of the European Union and the United Nations, "Kyprianou added.

Almost half of Turkey's negotiating chapters have been frozen, some of them for refusing to extend recognition to Cyprus Republic and allow use of its airspace and ports by Greek Cypriot planes and ships.

The European Commission criticized Turkey in its evaluation report last November for not moving forward on its relations with Cyprus.

Kyprianou also commented on an upcoming visit to Cyprus by German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday, saying that Germany, having been a divided state itself, is in a position to better understand the need for the re-unification of the island.

"Her visit is a substantial one as far as the Cyprus problem is concerned,"Kyprianou said.

The Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities have been engaged in re-unification talks for almost 30 months but the negotiations were bogged down on the thorny issue of Greek Cypriot properties in the Turkish Cypriot north.

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has invited the leaders of the two communities to meet him in Geneva on January 26, in a bid to break the impasse.

However, the three-way meeting may have to be rescheduled, due to the poor health of Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, who underwent heart surgery in Ankara in late December. Two negotiating sessions in the UN-controlled buffer zone have been scrapped and two more scheduled until the Geneva meeting are in doubt.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/w ... 683083.htm

Ending Turkey's EU bid would be 'nightmare' for Greek Cyprus, minister says

Monday, January 10, 2011
ISTANBUL – Anatolia News Agency



"An acceleration of Turkey’s European Union accession would be advantageous for both Greece and Greek Cyprus, Turkey’s chief negotiator for EU affairs said Monday, but warned that any cessation of talks would be a “nightmare” for southern Cyprus.

“Greek Cypriots know very well that Turkey's EU process is their insurance policy. The ending of Turkey's EU process would be their nightmare,” chief negotiator and State Minister Egemen Bağış told reporters Monday at the Istanbul Office of the Secretariat General for EU Affairs.

"Turkey has the rightful thesis on the Cyprus issue. European Council member countries, including Greece, earlier decided to remove the blockade on northern Cyprus but they have not implemented it,” he said.

"First, they should put an end to the unjust blockade on northern Cyprus. Turkey has stated it would do everything needed to open ports," Bağış said.

He also Turkey went to Cyprus with its troops in 1974 to ensure security there and added that the Greek Cypriot view that violence had not been widespread in the run-up to the intervention was an indication of the side’s insincerity.

Bağış also referred to a recent attack on a Greek Cypriot hooligan attack against a Turkish basketball team, saying, "They should not try the patience of Turkey."

Progress over the past two years

The minister also told journalists about the progress Turkey has made over the past two years of the EU accession process.

"The Secretariat General for EU Affairs works hard with close to 300 employees. It has a new logo now which indicates the interaction between Turkey and the EU," he said.

"We have prepared a European Union strategy for Turkey's accession process and we have started to implement it," Bağış said, noting that the studies would be carried out up to 2013 without considering whether the chapter headings were hindered by political obstacles.

Bağış said chapter headings on taxation and on food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy were opened to negotiation as part of accession negotiations in the past two years and added that Turkey had made arrangements which directly affected the daily life of its citizens within the framework of the harmonization laws.

The minister said the Biosafety Law, a legal arrangement on genetically modified organisms, or GMO, has been enacted, meaning that the use of GMO products in baby or children’s food had been outlawed.

Bağış said authorities had prepared and begun to implement 25 laws and 108 secondary legal arrangements since January 2009 as part of the harmonization process, adding that very important steps were made in political reforms, the third platform of the country’s strategy."

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php? ... 2011-01-10

[Viewpoint]

No GC leverage, a night mare for GCs.

[humanist]

I am not sure that Turkey can be so confident that Turkey's EU accession is their insurance policy. It can also go the other way which will be disastrous for the TC population. No one has recognised the illegal regime and no one will. In-fact if Turkey is not an EU member country, more Countries might put pressure on the UN to find a solution and implement appropriate power to ensure UN Resolutions are respected by Turkey.

In the mean time what little population of TC's has remained on the Island will have to bear the consequence of Turkeys Occupation of Cyprus' territory.

[observer]

The chances of Turkey joining the EU become ever more remote with the passage of time, and little to do with Cyprus or Islam, but lots to do with good old fashioned politics. Seats in the EU parliament are now decided by population. If Turkey joined the EU it would have the second biggest number of seats after Germany. Many of the politicians whose powers would be weakened realize this and find Cyprus and Islam a convenient excuse.

Economically, although Turkey is currently at a lower base that most EU countries, it is advancing at a faster rate than the EU, and has a sounder financial footing than many of the basket-case EU economies. Turkey is also better placed demographically than most EU countries, with a greater proportion of young/old people. Turkish people are realizing this also, so the wish to join the EU is growing weaker in Turkey too.

No view is held universally – this one especially so, so you will find politicians in the EU and Turkey strongly in favour of Turkey joining the EU, but I believe the drift away from union is stronger. It would be interesting to know how many people in how many EU countries would vote to leave the EU today if it was practical to do so.

As for Cyprus sending ‘a tough message to Turkey’

[Oracle]

Has Turkey responded?

I heard a whimper!