Taking Side with Greek Cypriots is Also Against EU Spirit

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Gul: Taking Side with Greek Cypriots is Also Against EU Spirit
By Ersan Temizel, Musa Ozyurek
Published: Sunday, August 28, 2005
zaman.com

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul reacted to French President Jacques Chirac’s remarks that Ankara’s declaration on not recognizing the Greek Cypriot administration “poses political and legal problems and that it is not in the spirit expected of a candidate to the Union." Gul recalled that it was the Greek Cypriot administration, who, in a referendum on April 24, 2004, rejected the Annan Plan, which the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), and the entire world reached a consensus. Underlying that Greek Cypriots have in fact acted against the European spirit, Gul called on EU members to act consistently on the Cyprus issue. The Turkish foreign minister noting the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) fulfilled its responsibilities said an embargo against Turkish Cypriots was also against the EU spirit and principles. “Greek Cypriots carrying this problem into the EU should pay the costs for their behavior,” Gul said.

Gul told reporters at his father’s garden house in Kayseri, a province in Central Anatolia, that Turkish Cypriots did what they were ascribed to do and asked for the embargo over Turkish to be lifted. He referred to Ankara’s proposal to lift the restrictions mutually and added: “As you know, there is one thing that we have declared to the entire world: ‘Let’s abolish all the restrictions on Cyprus at the grass roots and with this, let’s abolish simultaneously all the restrictions that all the sides and countries implement on each other.’ This is a proposal very well in line with the EU spirit. One who rejects this proposal, if it is a member of the EU in someway, should be warned by the EU leaders or states to pay attention to the issue.”



EU leaders are prudent



Turkish Foreign Minister Gul said he had no doubts that accession talks between Turkey and the EU would start on October 3. “Because the EU leaders are prudent enough not to behave as to overshadow or ignore strategic policies regarding the entire world due to some troubles they face in their domestic policies or some conjectural problems,” Gul said. Indicating Turkey fulfilled the required criteria in time, Gul emphasized that state and government heads signing the December 17 summit resolution were still in the office. He said the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Olli Rehn, has best confirmed that Turkey accomplished its homework and added Rehn has been making this explanation to all the EU countries.



Following French Premier Dominique de Villepin, President Jacques Chirac also reacted to Turkey’s Cyprus declaration. Chirac holding a meeting with the European Commission President Manuel José Barroso at the Elysee Palace said Ankara’s attitude was not in the spirit of a country expecting to join the EU. French leader said, Ankara's declaration "poses political and legal problems and that it is not in the spirit expected of a candidate to the Union," and added “That’s why we want to discuss this with our partners” at the next EU foreign ministers’ meeting on September 1-2. The Greek Cypriot press focusing on the recent developments claimed France and Germany have blockaded Turkey in the light of Ankara’s starting the membership talks on October 3. Newspapers also shared a great deal on Chirac’s statements and Germany’s conservative leader Angela Merkel’s letter she sent to the EU members.


Well this is something that we should all discuss, the EU did make promises to the Turkish Cypriot after the referandum that they have not kept, is this the spirit of EU that chirac talks about or the fact that what was agreed in December by all EU members and championed by France then is now trying to go back on its agreement and make a new requirement for Turkeys start date, yet again is this Chiracs much talked about EU spirit.