Brussels, 22/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - A senior liberal MEP has blasted Turkey for threatening to block cooperation with the EU when Cyprus takes over its rotating presidency in a year's time if no deal is reached on the future of the divided island. The criticism came after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who leads the Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP), visited the Turkish Cypriot north of the island to celebrate the anniversary of Turkey's invasion in 1974. “In the light of this setback, one must now question whether the AKP leadership is or has ever been truly committed to a European vocation for Turkey”, British MEP Andrew Duff said in a statement. “Not only does the Turkish government cling to outmoded hostile rhetoric but it raises an entirely new obstacle to improving relations with the EU”, said Duff, who is a member of the EU-Turkey parliamentary committee.
Turkey is a candidate for membership of the European Union, but its accession negotiations are likely to take at least a decade, and the EU will give no guarantee that Ankara can actually join at the end of it all. The talks have been held up by Turkey's refusal to open its ports and airports to Cypriot ships and planes. France and Germany are also opposed to allowing a large, mainly Muslim but secular country which is relatively poor to join. The standoff over Cyprus has also impacted on EU relations with NATO, with alliance member Turkey blocking some cooperation with the EU in defence matters. During his visit to northern Cyprus, Erdogan said: “In case the Greek side takes over the EU presidency in 2012 without a solution to the Cyprus issue, I am saying clearly that Turkey's relations with the EU will be completely frozen”. The EU is Turkey's biggest trading partner.
Duff underlined that the EU would not change its policy on the rotating presidency, and that Cyprus would take over the reins for six months on 1 July, 2012. He said that EU presidencies are often obliged to set aside national interests, and must take on board the positions of their fellow member states as they seek solutions to issues.
“Instead of using this opportunity to progress their case for membership, the Turkish leadership has blown it”, he said. “By offering Turkey only the crude choice between 'the EU or Cyprus', (Erdogan) is likely to end up with neither”. (LoC)