Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades reiterated on Wednesday that if Turkey does not meet its obligations, deriving from the Ankara Protocol and more generally from its negotiating framework with the EU, no chapters in the framework of its accession negotiations will open.
Invited to comment on statements by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, which show that Turkey insists on its proposal to the opening of chapters, Anastsiades noted that the Republic of Cyprus has its own positions as well.
“As long as they do not meet their obligations, deriving from the Ankara Protocol, and more generally from the negotiating framework, there is no issue of opening negotiating chapters,” Anastasiades said.
He added that if Turkey does not conform with its obligations, no chapters will open.
Turkey, whose troops occupy Cyprus’ northern part since they invaded, does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus and refused to comply with EU calls to normalise relations with Nicosia, which has blocked six negotiating chapters in the EU-Turkey accession talks until such time that Ankara complies with its EU commitments.
