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Cyprus is facing roadblocks in its latest push to link EU-Turkey relations with progress on the Cyprus issue, according to a report by Pavlos Xanthoulis published in this Sunday's Kathimerini. As discussions on the forthcoming EU Council Conclusions move forward, Nicosia's attempt to tie the two issues together has been met with firm opposition from Germany and the Netherlands. These developments highlight the challenges Cyprus faces in leveraging broader EU-Turkey cooperation to address its own long-standing territorial dispute.
The disagreement centers on paragraph 99 of the revised draft conclusions, which mentions that Turkey’s “constructive engagement” is key to advancing cooperation with the EU. Cyprus sought to broaden this reference, aiming to link Turkey’s cooperation with the EU to the resumption of Cyprus peace talks and progress toward a settlement based on the agreed UN framework. However, Germany and the Netherlands shot down this proposal, arguing it disrupted the carefully balanced language of the draft conclusions.
Nicosia’s efforts to use the EU-Turkey relationship as a bargaining chip for the Cyprus problem have stalled, with key EU partners unwilling to blend the two issues.
Germany’s representative, in particular, pointed out that Cyprus's changes would upset the consensus established by the Hungarian EU Presidency, while the Netherlands argued that Nicosia's request deviated from decisions made at the April 2024 summit. This position seemed to undercut President Nikos Christodoulides’s interpretation that those April conclusions did, in fact, connect the Cyprus issue with EU-Turkey relations—a justification for his support of the summit’s outcome.
During a diplomatic-preparatory meeting (COELA), other unnamed member states also sided with Germany, maintaining that Cyprus's proposal was out of sync with established decisions. The prevailing view was that the Cyprus problem and Euro-Turkish cooperation should continue on separate, parallel tracks, with no direct connection.
Cyprus’s Implicit Veto Threat
In an effort to press its case, Cyprus hinted at using a veto to block the conclusions if its concerns weren’t addressed. However, EU sources remained skeptical, recalling that Cyprus had made similar threats in April but ultimately backed down. The prevailing sentiment among EU diplomats was that Cyprus would not follow through on its veto threat this time either.
Limited Wins for Cyprus
Despite these setbacks, Cyprus did manage to secure some verbal acknowledgments in the draft conclusions. The document calls on Turkey to support a peaceful resolution to the Cyprus problem and to respect relevant UN Security Council resolutions, especially concerning Famagusta. However, these statements remain largely symbolic and do not impose any tangible obligations on Turkey. Crucially, they do not tie Turkey’s cooperation with the EU to progress on the Cyprus issue, meaning Turkey faces no penalties for inaction on peace talks.
The draft conclusions also reiterate Turkey’s obligations to extend its Customs Union to all EU member states and normalize relations with Cyprus. Additionally, they call on Turkey to fully implement the 2016 EU-Turkey migration agreement in relation to Cyprus. While these points are noted, they fall short of creating any direct leverage for Cyprus.
Next Steps
The revised draft conclusions are still under review and will be finalized by EU foreign ministers on December 16-17. Cyprus still has a chance to push for amendments, but achieving significant changes will be difficult if they are seen as disrupting the text’s balance—a concern highlighted by Germany.
In short, Nicosia’s efforts to use the EU-Turkey relationship as a bargaining chip for the Cyprus problem have stalled, with key EU partners unwilling to blend the two issues. The path forward for Cyprus remains challenging, with diplomatic gains largely limited to words rather than actionable outcomes.
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