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Cyprus presses Turkey for recognition ahead of EU presidency

21 May 2012, 22:59 CET
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(VIENNA) - Cypriot President Demetris Christofias on Monday slammed Turkey for refusing to recognise Cyprus as Nicosia prepares to take over the rotating EU presidency.

Turkey's positions "lean towards threats" and are not constructive, Christofias said at a news conference in Vienna after meeting with Austrian President Heinz Fischer.

Ankara, which wants to join the EU, has warned that it will freeze its relations with the 27-nation bloc unless a deal is reached to end the division of the island.

Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkish troops invaded the northern third in response to an Greek-inspired coup in Nicosia aimed at uniting the island with Greece. Ankara is alone in recognising the government in the northern sector, which goes by the name Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Christofias said his goal was a unified Cyprus despite Turkey's "unacceptable attitude" and said Ankara should honour its commitments to the European Union.

UN-sponsored talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, resumed in 2008, are again at an impasse.

Turkey's negotiation process with the EU bloc faces deadlock over its refusal to implement a customs union with the Greek part of Cyprus, an EU member since 2004.

Cyprus takes over the rotating EU presidency in July from Denmark.

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


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