Cyprus should not be a block to Turkey’s date

THE Cyprus problem should not stand in the way of a date for Turkey’s EU accession talks, EU Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheugen said in Ankara yesterday.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Verheugen said the Cyprus problem and the decision as to whether or not Turkey would be given an EU accession negotiation date were “two separate issues”, adding that “the Cyprus problem must not influence the EU’s decision” on Turkey.

He added that following the April 24 referendum, when the vast majority of Greek Cypriots rejected the Annan plan while most Turkish Cypriots voted ‘yes’, a lot of promises had been made to the Turkish Cypriots “and these promises must be materialised to put an end to the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots”.

Asked whether Turkey should recognise the Republic of Cyprus, the EU Commissioner expressed the opinion that the matter would not pose an obstacle for Turkey.

The matter was not discussed during the meeting with Gul, said Verheugen.

“(Nevertheless) I believe that a solution will be found to this issue soon,” he said.
Verheugen is on a key fact-finding message ahead of the Commission’s final report on Turkey next month.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.