The UK Minister for Europe David Lidington has reiterated his government’s belief that Turkey’s accession to the EU is still “many years” away, to a large degree due to the unsettled Cyprus issue.
Asked during a foreign policy debate in the House of Commons about the prospect of Turkey’s accession following the recent deal between Ankara and Brussels on the refugee crisis, Mr Lidington commented: “As the Prime Minister said the other day in the House, Turkish membership of the EU is not on the cards for many years indeed.
“That is not least because there would have to be a Cyprus settlement before Cyprus lifted its block on a whole number of the negotiating chapters,” he said.
As the Minister for Europe added, “that is not something that we are likely to face in the lifetime of this Parliament or the next, and possibly not in the one after that.”
Turkey, whose troops occupy Cyprus’ northern part since they invaded in 1974, does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus and refuses to meet its EU obligations to normalise relations with Nicosia.
