EUROPEAN heads of state and government have agreed to discuss the Cyprus problem and Turkey’s recent threats against Cyprus in the next December summit, said President Demetris Christofias.
Speaking after a meeting of the European Council in Brussels on Sunday, Christofias said his proposal to discuss Turkey’s “aggressive” behaviour towards Cyprus was accepted by his EU counterparts.
The president raised the issue of Turkey’s aggressiveness during discussions among EU leaders on a tougher policy towards Syria and Iran.
He questioned “what position the European Council takes when a country knocking on the door of the EU is following a shameless aggressive policy against a member state, and I am referring to Turkey with its aggressive and provocative behaviour lately, which leads to harder positions on the Cyprus problem”.
Christofias highlighted during the Council meeting that “the EU has a duty to make it absolutely clear to Turkey that it is not possible for a third country to set terms regarding who will be holding the presidency, at any time”.
The Turkish leadership has made repeated threats that it will “freeze” relations with the EU Council during Cyprus’ six-month term in charge of the EU Presidency starting next July if the Cyprus problem is not solved by then.
The president said Cyprus would prepare a draft decision of the Council, depending on the prevailing climate at the time, on EU-Turkey relations and particularly Turkey’s behaviour towards Cyprus.
He said the Council showed full understanding to his request, while he raised the issue directly with UK Prime Minister David Cameron.
“I referred specifically to Mr Cameron, calling on him to pay particular attention as his country is a guarantor power of Cyprus’ independence,” said Christofias.
According to yesterday’s Phileleftheros, the president’s request was supported by Germany’s Angela Merkel, and the leaders of Greece and Malta, leading European Council President Herman Van Rompuy to put it on the agenda for the next EU leaders’ summit on December 9.
The same paper claimed that Christofias secured the item on the agenda despite repeated refusals by the EU’s High Representative for foreign affairs Catherine Ashton to include the issue for discussion at the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council.
Phileleftheros reported that Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis wrote twice to Ashton requesting that Turkey’s threats against Cyprus be discussed by EU foreign ministers in September and then again in October. Both requests were not met.
Turkey has made a number of threats against Cyprus in relation to its EU Presidency and exploratory drilling in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan signed a ‘continental shelf’ agreement with the breakaway regime in the north on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last month, before sending the Turkish navy and seismic research vessels into Cyprus’ EEZ.
Asked to comment on Ashton’s response, Christofias said this was not the time to go against the High Representative, especially since the decision was taken at a European Council level to put the matter on the agenda for discussion.
He noted that during Sunday’s summit, Ashton referred to the continuous contact with the Turkish leadership, making clear that the EU member states are 27, not 26.
The president also briefed his counterparts on the lack of progress in the peace talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu.
