Cyprus does not accept pressure nor is it being admonished regarding its stance on Turkey`s accession chapters, Government Spokesperson Nikos Christodoulides has said, making it clear that there is a convergence of views between the Republic of Cyprus and the EU institutions on the negotiating context, the terms and conditions for opening any accession chapters and even the provision of EU visa waiver to Turkish nationals.
The Spokesperson clarified that the Ankara Protocol remains a strict condition for opening frozen chapters and the 72 prerequisites (including equal treatment of Member States) are a prior requirement set by the EU itself, on Turkey concerning the visa waiver.
Furthermore he dismissed information on German led pressure on Nicosia, noting that the meetings of the President Nicos Anastasiades with the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker have been positive and that the President will brief his EPP counterparts.
Asked if there has been pressure exerted on the Republic of Cyprus during the bilateral meetings the President of the Republic has had, Nikos Christodoulides said that “I cannot say that the Republic of Cyprus is part of the pressure. The Republic of Cyprus is in focus because accession chapters for Turkey are one of the demands that the Turkish Government has forwarded to Brussels.”
He then explained that “the position of the Republic of Cyprus is clear” and stressed that “the discussion of any accession chapters for Turkey that have been frozen since the Republic of Cyprus can be started only with the fulfillment of obligations by Turkey`s side as they are recorded either in the Negotiating Framework of 2005 or at the Ankara Protocol.”
“So in any matter concerning the accession chapters, what happens does not depend on the Government. It depends solely on Turkey,” said the spokesman.
The President, he noted, had meetings with Commission President Jean Claude Juncker and the EP President Martin Schultz and added “yesterday, as quite rightly the Commission vice president mentioned publicly, even the issue of visa liberalization for Turkish nationals in the EU Member States should be preceded by Turkey fulfilling the 72 criteria regarding this matter.”
He stressed once again that “we are not asking for anything more or anything less. We demand the fulfillment on the part of Turkey of its obligations. So in this context our positions are well understood.”
Asked if during his meetings the President of the Republic was the receiver of “exhortations” or if he has been admonished for some formula to find a compromise with Turkey, the Spokesperson said: “Neither admonition nor vetting. I repeat that our position is very clear and no one can contest it. You should realize that this European Council is not convening only on the issue of Turkey`s accession chapters.”
There is the issue of visas, the additional financial aid and the issue of refugees, he said. “All these issues until this time are open. There are difficulties to close these issues and you should realize that in the meetings the President discusses exactly these issues. We participate in the European Council and we have positions on all issues. Let me repeat that, as far as the thorny issue is concerned, suggestions that the Republic of Cyprus is part of this refugee crisis is a non issue, this is not the case under any circumstances. Our position is crystal clear,” he said.
Asked specifically whether Cyprus was under pressure from other Member States such as Germany, the Government Spokesman said that “So far there has been no proposal, nor pressure. Any pressure should take into account what I have said to you. And that is the clear position of the President of the Republic, namely the implementation of Turkey`s obligations and from there we can discuss. Without implementation we can not discuss,” Christodoulides stressed.
