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Erdogan threatens freeze with EU during Cypriot presidency

19 July 2011, 15:28 CET
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(ANKARA) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to freeze relations with the EU while Cyprus holds the union's rotating presidency next year, drawing condemnation from the Cypriot president.

"We will not have any discussions with the Cypriot president. Reports with the EU will be frozen," he told the daily Milliyet in remarks published on Tuesday.

Ankara does not recognise the Cypriot government and has called for a deal to end the 37-year division of the island's Greek and Turkish communities before Cyprus takes over the EU presidency next July.

"We consider it a disgrace to sit down at the negotiating table with them (Greek Cypriots) at the United Nations. We will not negotiate with a country which we do not recognise," Erdogan declared ahead of a visit on Tuesday afternoon to the northern Turkish part of the island to mark the anniversary of the Turkish military intervention on July 20, 1974.

In reaction, Cypriot President Demetris Christofias said, "Anyone judging the statements of Mr Erdogan, which are utterly reprehensible and, I must say, ooze cynicism, will realise that if the Turkish side pursue this line there is no chance of any real progress."

"I feel that the United Nations will also resent these statements ... because it is the desire of the secretary general, and our desire, to make real progress in the talks."

Christofias was speaking after his first meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu since the two met with UN chief Ban Ki-moon in Geneva on July 7 in the latest bid by the world organisation to expedite the peace process.

Cyprus has been divided along ethnic lines since Turkish troops invaded the island and occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-engineered coup in Nicosia aimed at union with Greece.

The issue remains a major stumbling block to Turkey's struggling bid to join the EU.


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