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TURKEY SAYS WON'T ATTEND ANY CYPRUS-PRESIDED EU EVENT
PanARMENIAN.Net
June 8, 2012 - 11:22 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey will not attend any event presided over by
Cyprus when the divided nation assumes the European Union presidency
in July, the country's foreign minister said, according to Belfast
Telegraph.
Turkey does not recognize Cyprus as a sovereign nation and opposes it
taking over the EU presidency until a solution to the dispute is found.
The island was split into an internationally recognized Greek-speaking
south and a breakaway Turkish-speaking north in 1974 when Turkey
invaded after a coup by supporters of a union with Greece. Only the
Greek section is part of the EU.
"EU-Turkey relations and the political contacts we are currently
establishing will continue as they are," Turkey's foreign minister
Ahmet Davutoglu told a joint news conference with EU foreign policy
chief Baroness (Catherine) Ashton and enlargement commissioner Stefan
Fule. "Yet no ministry or organisation of the Turkish Republic will
take part in any activity that will be presided by Southern Cyprus."
Eight policy issues have been frozen by the bloc over Turkey's refusal
to allow ships and planes from Cyprus enter its ports and airspace.
Turkey, however, is showing renewed interest in reviving its stalled
bid to join the European Union, now that one of its key opponents -
Nicolas Sarkozy - is no longer the president of France.
Turkey began its EU accession negotiations in 2005 but made little
progress in its candidacy, thanks to its dispute with Cyprus and
opposition from Mr Sarkozy to Turkey's membership. Mr Sarkozy argued
that the predominantly Muslim country is not part of Europe and
wanted Turkey to accept some kind of a special partnership with the
EU instead of full membership - an offer Turkey rejected.
Now that Socialist Francois Hollande has replaced the conservative Mr
Sarkozy, Turkey hopes France will be more sympathetic to the candidacy
of a country that has one of the world's fastest growing economies
and is becoming a regional diplomatic player.
"Turkey will determinedly progress in its course towards the EU,"
Egemen Bagis, the Turkish minister in charge of EU affairs, said.
discovered in north-eastern Mexico Reports say gang-related messages
were found on the blankets covering 11 men and three
PanARMENIAN.Net
June 8, 2012 - 11:22 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey will not attend any event presided over by
Cyprus when the divided nation assumes the European Union presidency
in July, the country's foreign minister said, according to Belfast
Telegraph.
Turkey does not recognize Cyprus as a sovereign nation and opposes it
taking over the EU presidency until a solution to the dispute is found.
The island was split into an internationally recognized Greek-speaking
south and a breakaway Turkish-speaking north in 1974 when Turkey
invaded after a coup by supporters of a union with Greece. Only the
Greek section is part of the EU.
"EU-Turkey relations and the political contacts we are currently
establishing will continue as they are," Turkey's foreign minister
Ahmet Davutoglu told a joint news conference with EU foreign policy
chief Baroness (Catherine) Ashton and enlargement commissioner Stefan
Fule. "Yet no ministry or organisation of the Turkish Republic will
take part in any activity that will be presided by Southern Cyprus."
Eight policy issues have been frozen by the bloc over Turkey's refusal
to allow ships and planes from Cyprus enter its ports and airspace.
Turkey, however, is showing renewed interest in reviving its stalled
bid to join the European Union, now that one of its key opponents -
Nicolas Sarkozy - is no longer the president of France.
Turkey began its EU accession negotiations in 2005 but made little
progress in its candidacy, thanks to its dispute with Cyprus and
opposition from Mr Sarkozy to Turkey's membership. Mr Sarkozy argued
that the predominantly Muslim country is not part of Europe and
wanted Turkey to accept some kind of a special partnership with the
EU instead of full membership - an offer Turkey rejected.
Now that Socialist Francois Hollande has replaced the conservative Mr
Sarkozy, Turkey hopes France will be more sympathetic to the candidacy
of a country that has one of the world's fastest growing economies
and is becoming a regional diplomatic player.
"Turkey will determinedly progress in its course towards the EU,"
Egemen Bagis, the Turkish minister in charge of EU affairs, said.
discovered in north-eastern Mexico Reports say gang-related messages
were found on the blankets covering 11 men and three