EC conclusions of last April are explicit, Cyprus tells Turkey ahead of Gymnich

The conclusions of the European Council last April are quite explicit and clearly link the EU-Turkey relations with the progress in the Cyprus issue, Director of the Press Office of Cyprus President, Viktoras Papadopoulos told the Cyprus News Agency.

He was commenting on statements made earlier today by the spokesperson of the Turkish Foreign Ministry on the Foreign Minister’s Hakan Fidan presence in next week’s informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Brussels.

The Spokesperson said, inter alia, that Ankara hopes that Gymnich will pave the way for improvement in its relations with the EU.

Papadopoulos told the Cyprus News Agency that if Turkey wishes to resume and even expand its relations with the EU, then it should look into the conclusions of the European Council of last April which are very clear and obviously link Euro-Turkish relations with the progress in the Cyprus issue.

Papadopoulos went on to say that in the Gymnich where Fidan will participate, the Cyprus FM Constantinos Kombos will have
the opportunity to indicate all of the above, in the presence of the Turkish Minister.

He also underlined that the conclusions clearly state that any progress in Euro-Turkish relations must be gradual, proportional and reversible and this is the framework in which the improvement of EU-Turkish relations can move.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.

Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Cyprus joined the EU in 2004.

Turkey which aspires to join the Union was invited to the Gymnich meeting after a five-year hiatus.

Source: Cyprus News Agency