GREECE said yesterday that its former foe Turkey’s bid to join the European Union and the settlement of the Cyprus issue should not be affected by the French and Dutch rejections of the proposed EU constitution.
Greek Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis told reporters the referendum decisions in France and Holland should have no bearing on the scheduled October 3 formal start of Turkey’s talks on joining the bloc.
The double ‘no’ vote has raised doubt in some quarters about whether the EU will go ahead with planned membership talks with Turkey as well as Croatia and other more distant aspirants.
The constitution makes no direct reference to Turkish membership, but ‘no’ campaigners in both France and the Netherlands played on public fears of admitting Turkey, a large, poor and overwhelmingly Muslim country, into the EU.
“There is no change in decisions taken on December 17, 2004 on Turkey’s candidacy,” Molyviatis told reporters.
“It is a fact that Turkey’s drive towards Europe was decided on that date and the procedures and conditions are clearly outlined in the conclusions… no one has asked for a change or modification of these decisions,” he said.
Ankara is due to start accession talks with the bloc on October 3, expected to last at least a decade.
EU member Greece, though long at odds with Turkey over territorial disputes in the Aegean as well as over Cyprus, has been one of Ankara’s strongest supporters in its bid to join the bloc, saying membership would strengthen stability in southeast Europe and improve bilateral ties.
“Turkey must continue its route to Europe as outlined in these decisions and the position of Greece on this has not changed,” Molyviatis said.
“I don’t see a connection between the Cyprus settlement and October 3,” he said. “This date does not have any relation with the re-starting of negotiations for a solution on Cyprus.”
A United Nations effort to reunite the island collapsed last year weeks before the island joined the EU.
Asked whether the Dutch and French referendum results were hampering renewed efforts to kickstart Cyprus settlement talks, Molyviatis said: “I don’t see how they can have any relation to Cyprus.”
Commentators, however, point out that with the prospect of Turkey’s membership fading, leverage over Cyprus is slipping away, with hardliners in Ankara less likely to make concessions on what is seen as a key national issue.
