Cyprus seeks improvements of EU statement on Turkey

The Cypriot government is seeking improvements of the European Union's draft counterstatement to Turkey's declaration that it does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus, Cypriot government spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides said here Wednesday.

Chrysostomides made the statement when commenting on the meeting of the EU Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER), which convened on Wednesday to discuss a draft counterstatement presented by the British Presidency.

The meeting failed again to agree on how to respond to Turkey's refusal to recognize EU member Cyprus, a key issue ahead of Ankara 's planned launch of membership talks with the EU.

The EU representatives will discuss the issue again on Sept. 21, and if they fail to reach a deal then, the EU will probably convene an extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers on Sept. 26 to work out a compromise, local press reported.

Chrysostomides said both Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos and Foreign Minister George Iacovou were closely following the developments in the EU and were in constant touch with the Cypriot permanent representative in Brussels.

"Cyprus will continue its diplomatic battle in the COREPER to achieve changes so that the counterstatement will satisfy our expectations and prospects for the further promotion of the efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue," he added.

The spokesman also threatened to block Turkey's EU entry talks slated for Oct. 3, for the start of accession talks need all member states to agree on a negotiating mandate.

"If there is no agreed negotiating framework, the negotiations will not start," Chrysostomides said.

Turkey refuses to recognize Cyprus's Greek Cypriot government, which represents the whole island in the 25-nation EU. Ankara supports a breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in the north of the Mediterranean island.

Ankara fulfilled its last agreed obligation before accession talks with the EU in July when it extended its customs union with the bloc to ten new member states, including Cyprus.

However, Ankara claims the signature to the deal doesn't mean a recognition of the Cypriot government.

The Cypriot government is demanding strong wording in the counterstatement from the EU, which it says should envisage deadlines for Ankara to make progress in recognizing the government on the island.

Cyprus has been divided into the Greek Cypriot south and Turkish Cypriot north since 1974, when Turkey sent troops to take control of one third of the island following a failed Greek Cypriot coup seeking union with Greece.

UN-brokered efforts to reunite the island collapsed in 2004 when Greek Cypriots rejected a reunification plan accepted by Turkish Cypriots.

Source: Xinhua