Confederation is Denktash’s condition for EU membership

TURKISH Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash has said his self-declared state is willing to join the European Union – but only if the divided island is reunited in a confederation of Turkish and Greek Cypriots, a Turkish newspaper said yesterday.

EU officials want the Turkish Cypriots to join the Cyprus negotiating team, which Denktash has refused to do. His reported remarks seemed to indicate a slight change of position.

He had previously objected to Cyprus’ membership and refused to join the accession talks which began last year, claiming the move would amount to the island’s integration with EU-member Greece.

“We are prepared to negotiate EU membership on condition that we enter in a confederation and (the EU) negotiates with us on an equal status with the Greek Cypriots,” Denktash told Milliyet newspaper.

He had previously insisted that Turkish Cypriots would consider joining the EU only once Turkey itself was admitted, a development which is not likely any time soon because Brussels has expressed strong reservations about Ankara’s human rights record.

“We have softened that condition,” Denktash told Milliyet.

Denktash proposed a two-state confederation on the island as a way to restart UN-sponsored unification talks last year. But the offer was rejected by government and Greek leaders as a ploy to legitimise the island’s partition.