Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos said Saturday that European Union (EU) countries clearly believe that Turkey ought to fulfill its obligations towards the EU.

President Papadopoulos made the remarks while speaking to the press upon returning from Finland, where he took part in an European Council meeting.

While EU member states have reservations regarding Turkey's final accession to the EU, the general climate is that no country would like an end to talks on Turkey's membership "for obvious reasons", said Papadopoulos.

He clarified that Cyprus would not like a crisis which would end Turkey's accession course, provided that Ankara will respect its obligations towards the EU.

Asked which would be the possible sanctions on Turkey if it fails to fulfill its EU obligations, the Cypriot president replied that the sanctions are probably interrupting the accession talks, freezing them or suspending them.

Despite the risk that its talks on joining the EU could be derailed, Turkey refuses to open its air and sea ports to the Republic of Cyprus under a customs union deal with the EU, unless the EU makes good on promises to ease the economic isolation of Cyprus' breakaway north supported by Turkey alone.

The EU formally launched talks with Turkey over the country's accession in October last year. The negotiations are expected to last at least a decade and Ankara is required to meet a number of criteria spelled out by the EU before entry, including the opening of its air and sea ports to the Republic of Cyprus.

The internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus, which entered the EU on behalf of the whole island in May 2004, is able to block Turkey's entry talks with its veto.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey militarily intervened and occupied the north of Cyprus following a coup by a group of Greek officers.

Source: Xinhua