Turkey rejects EU decision to let Cyprus join in 2004
ANKARA, Dec 18: Turkey on Wednesday denounced as unacceptable the European Union’s decision to admit the divided island of Cyprus as a member in 2004.
“Turkey does not accept from a legal and political standpoint the decision regarding Cyprus in the conclusions of the EU Copenhagen summit. EU member countries and the European Commission have been notified,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The EU’s invitation at last week’s Copenhagen summit was made to the internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot government, the accepted legitimate authority on the island since 1974 when Turkey occupied the northern third of Cyprus.
The breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in the north, recognized only by Ankara, has never been involved in the EU candidacy process.
“There is no single state, government or parliament authorised to represent the whole island. Two separate peoples, two separate democratic systems, two separate legal systems and two separate states are present in Cyprus today,” the Turkish statement said.
“The European Union does not have the right to take unilateral decisions on the future of Cyprus in breach of international agreements and create international obligations” it added.
UN efforts to secure an island reunification deal on the sidelines of the Copenhagen summit failed, but the European Union urged the island’s rival communities to reach agreement by February 28, under a UN solution timetable.
The ministry statement, issued just as top army and government officials started to meet here to discuss the Cyprus problem, said Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash was ready to negotiate on the UN proposals for a Cyprus settlement, and was backed by Turkey on his stance.
“Turkey desires a political agreement which ensures the continuation of peace and current guarantees in Cyprus, protects the balance between Turkey and Greece, and aims at establishing a new partnership on Cyprus through consensus,” it added.
“Turkey supports the continuation of negotiations on the proposals of the UN Secretary General (Kofi Annan),” it said.
The UN blueprint for a solution on Cyprus, the original of which was handed to the two sides on November 11 and a modified version last week, envisages a Swiss-style confederation of two equal states, with some common institutions and speaking with one voice in international bodies including the EU.
Both sides have outlined several objections to the plan.
Turkey invaded Cyprus in response to an Athens-engineered coup by Greek Cypriots seeking to unite the island with Greece, leading to its 28-year division along ethnic and religious lines, with a UN-manned buffer zone in between.—AFP
