Cyprus-Forum.com

[Lit]

By Alvise Armellini Oct 9, 2011, 13:45 GMT

Brussels - The European Union's executive is this week set to warn Ankara against carrying out further threats to Cyprus as it considers alternative ways to strengthen ties with an increasingly assertive Turkey following stalled accession talks.

Turkey has threatened to break off relations with the EU if the Republic of Cyprus - with which it is sparring over offshore gas and oil drilling - takes over the rotating presidency of the bloc in the second half of 2012.

In response, the European Commission is due to urge 'the avoidance of any kind of threat, source of friction or action that could damage good neighbourly relations and the peaceful settlement of disputes,' according to a draft document seen by dpa.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/ ... ell-Turkey

[bill cobbett]

Never mind these waste of time very deeeplomatic verbal statements ...

... if The Rogue State that is Turkey wants to freeze relations with the EU, the EU should respond with freezing the pre-accession development grants it gives to Turkey ... and Suspend the Customs Union.

[humanist]

Blah Blah Blah !!!!! Turkey is not listening and will continue not to listen. EU needs to take financial and economic measures to show Turkey they mean support for one of their States.

I read the article after I wrote the first sentence. It appears to me that the EU is begging Turkey, from reading the article.

[Nikitas]

Just think of the behavior of a drunk when kicked out of a club. He hangs about the entrance, swearing and threatening, to save his hurt pride, before he walks off telling himself that it was a rotten club to begin with.

This is where Turkey, the drunk, is right now.

The wording of the EU has to be polite, to leave room for more intense messages in the future.

As for the rotating presidency, there is no chance in hell it can change. These things are planned years ahead, and they form the backbone of EU workings. The upcoming presidency was known from the first day Cyprus joined the EU. Turkish noises are a way to press for expediting the Cyprus talks and induce a sense of urgency with a false deadline. No one is paying attention.

The presidency will be another upset in the mixup which is Turkish policy these days. Their diplomatic corps, so much admired by the Greeks, has made a royal FUp of the situation. Let us hope that they will have the wisdom to take "dynamic action" during the Cyprus presidency, such as to harass planes carrying heads of state and ministers from EU nations to Cyprus during the presidency. It would be funny, especially if at the time we have positive results in the oil and gas exploration. It will be a good opportunity for Europeans to get to know the true face of Turkey.

[Lit]

Top Dutch MP slams Turkey's 'belligerence' against Israel (and Cyprus)

BERLIN - ­Wim Kortenoeven, a prominent Dutch MP and Middle East expert, blasted Turkey's government for its jingoistic policies toward Cyprus and Israel on Sunday at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Kortenoeven's sharp criticisms of Turkey's foreign policies and repression of press freedoms elicited an irritated response from Turkey's representative at the OSCE session on security in the Mediterranean area.

full article below:

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPoliti ... ?id=241207