Papadopoulos: I can still veto Turkey

PRESIDENT Tassos Papadopoulos said yesterday he could still veto the start of EU accession talks with Turkey if Ankara failed to extend a protocol offering tacit recognition to the island by October3.

A Greek Cypriot veto at an EU summit which decided to open membership talks with Ankara was averted last week, but Nicosia says it can use it at a later stage of the process.
“I warned my (EU) counterparts that if Turkey does not meet its commitments, we reserve the right to block the start of accession negotiations, estimated to begin on October 3,” Papadopoulos told the Greek daily Imerisia in an interview.

Ankara must extend an existing 1963 protocol it has with the European Union to encompass the 10 new members which entered in May, including Cyprus. Diplomats say the move represents a tacit recognition of the Republic of Cyprus.

The October deadline has stirred speculation of a renewed bid to break a stalemate in Cyprus peace talks, sparing Turkey the humiliation of implicitly turning its back on Turkish Cypriots by tacitly acknowledging the Greek Cypriots. Reunification efforts stalled when Greek Cypriots rejected UN settlement proposals Turkish Cypriots accepted in a referendum last April. The European Union has urged both sides to take up an offer made by UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan for renewed mediation.

Papadopoulos avoided a clear answer on whether he would attend new negotiations. “The question is premature. It depends on the agenda, on the process, the framework and the ability for substantive negotiations.”

But he ruled out any re-engagement on the same UN plan he led Greek Cypriots to overwhelmingly reject in April. “As it stands, that plan is never going to be put before the people again.”

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