References to a possible settlement of the Cyprus problem, in the near future, were made during a meeting of the EU – Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee held on Wednesday afternoon in Strasbourg. The Committee met for the first time after its last meeting in March 2015.
In his opening remarks, representative of the European Commission Patrick Paquet, Deputy Head of Unit for Turkey in the DG for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, said that the Cyprus problem could possibly be solved this year, noting that this would be fantastic and a very big victory for Cyprus. He also noted that this “would facilitate us in a number of areas.” Paquet said that Turkey`s role “has been appreciated” and the EU will continue to support efforts in the ongoing negotiations for a Cyprus settlement.
In his opening remarks, Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Turkey to the EU, Ambassador Selim Yenel said that the two sides in Cyprus are focused on achieving a settlement and expressed hope that the problem will be solved in the next months. He also welcomed the fact that Cypriots, as he said, have accepted that the Turkish language is included in the EU official languages, something which he described as a positive step.
Co-Chairman of the Committee, Cypriot MEP Takis Hadjigeorgiou expressed his great concern over what is happening in the South East of Turkey and stressed that the EU and its leaders have the obligation to send Turkey the message that it must engage in a dialogue to solve the Kurdish issue. He also said that the case of the PKK does not give an alibi to Turkey to be aggressive towards Turkish citizens. Furthermore he noted the possibility of a flow of Kurdish migrants.
The situation in the South East of Turkey was discussed on Wednesday afternoon during the European Parliament plenary in Strasbourg in the presence of European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, who said that he will be visiting Turkey on Monday with the Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides to discuss all the issues which have emerged with the Turkish government.
Referring to Turkey`s accession negotiations, Hahn said that they are at a very early stage as regards chapters 23 and 24.”We are at a preparatory stage,” he noted. Hahn stressed that accession to the EU is possible once a country agrees with the values and principles on which the EU is funded, and that Turkey will have to adopt the EU acquis in order to join the EU.
Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci have been engaged in UN-led talks since May last year with a view to solve the problem of Cyprus, divided since the Turkish invasion of the island in 1974.