Turkey-EU relations fracture over Cyprus connection

''The Cypriot connection to progress in Turkey-EU relations will never be accepted by us,'' declares the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a statement, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserts that "the decisions made for our country at the Special Summit of Heads of State and Government of the European Union (EU) held in Brussels on April 17-18, 2024, are a new example of the EU's lack of strategic vision for our country and global developments."

The Summit's outcomes highlight that it is in the EU's strategic interest to develop a relationship with our country aimed at cooperation and mutual benefit. However, it is a serious inconsistency that specific decisions regarding the recommendations of the joint statement on EU-Turkey relations drafted by the EU Vice President/High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Borrell and the EU Commission cannot be made, according to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "the linkage of Cyprus to the progress in Turkey-EU relations will never be accepted by us. The approach that limits the multifaceted Turkey-EU relations to the Cyprus issue must be abandoned. Such a mindset cannot contribute positively and constructively to the Cyprus issue or other regional and global matters," it notes.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs further states that Turkey remains committed to EU accession. "However, we reject the selective restriction of our cooperation to certain areas. We will review our dialogue with the EU in the context of reciprocity, taking into account the speed, level, and scope of the EU's steps towards Turkey in the next period," it emphasizes.

[With information sourced from CNA]