Brussels, 20/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 19 December, Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoglu recalled during a conference in Helsinki that his country would never beg to join the EU. Highlighting that the Greek Cypriots are blocking Turkey's membership of the EU, thinking that Ankara will be weakened and will beg for its membership, he said: “We will never beg. If there is going to be integration, it must be fair”.
In Davutoglu's view, European leaders had promised Turkey that the embargos placed on the Turkish Cypriots would be lifted as soon as the Turkish community of Cyprus said “yes” to the 2004 referendum for the island's unification. The EU leaders then went back on their promise and accepted membership of the Greek part of Cyprus in spite of its “no” in the referendum, Davutoglu added. “They (the EU) continue to isolate Turkish Cypriots”, he said (our translation).
Out of the 35 negotiation chapters, 13 are open, 17 blocked, four not yet open and one provisionally closed. No chapters have been opened since June 2010. Turkey has frozen its relations with the Cypriot Presidency of the EU but the Irish Presidency, starting on 1 January, wants to relaunch them. (CG/transl.fl)