Brussels, 28/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - “Presidency (of the EU Council) for Cyprus for ever”, said Francesco Speroni, joint leader of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) Group in the European Parliament, in response to the latest statements from Turkey, which is threatening to freeze relations with the EU if Cyprus takes up the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU.
“For reasons of culture, history and geography, Turkey is not European”, Speroni stated at a press conference called in Strasbourg on Tuesday 27 September to confirm that the Lega Nord, part of the EFD Group, would vote against Turkey's joining the EU.
According to Speroni, Turkey's threat is no such thing: “So much the better if Turkey freezes its relations with us. We should have no dealings with it: Turkey is still occupying the north part of Cyprus, which is part of the EU. It's as if Libyan troops had occupied half of Sicily”, he said, adding: “Why did Europe intervene militarily to help insurgents in Libya, which has nothing to do with Europe, when it has still done nothing about the northern part of Cyprus?” he asked. (DD/transl.rt)