Cyprus blocked agreement among European Union states on Friday on concluding the first detailed accession negotiations with Turkey, casting doubt on planned ministerial talks on Monday.
"The presidency regrets that we could not reach unanimous agreement on the common position for the first chapter with Turkey," a spokesman for the EU's Austrian presidency said. The issue will now go to EU foreign ministers, meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, he said.
Diplomats said Nicosia refused to close the first of 35 detailed policy "chapters" with Turkey, on science and research, and demanded the EU include a reference to Ankara's obligation to recognise and normalise ties with Cyprus.
Turkey, which has 35,000 troops in Turkish Cypriot northern Cyprus, does not recognise Cyprus and says normalisation should be linked to a UN peace plan to reunite the divided island, which the Greek Cypriots rejected in 2004. Diplomats said Britain led the opposition to the Greek Cypriot demand. As a result of the deadlock, it was not immediately clear whether Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul would travel to Luxembourg on Monday for a regular meeting with his EU counterparts on Ankara's accession process.
The EU presidency said it expected the so-called Association Council meeting to go ahead, but Gul told Turkey's NTV television: "Let's see. Let it finish (first)".
The Turkish Foreign Ministry declined comment on the EU's failure to agree. The EU is due separately to open and conclude the same negotiating "chapter" with Croatia on Monday. Both countries opened membership talks with the 25-nation bloc last October 3 in Luxembourg.
Comments
Comments are closed.