EU urges Turkey to open ports, airports to Greek Cypriots

27/11/2009

ANKARA, Turkey -- The EU urged Turkey on Thursday (November 26th) to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriots ahead of the EU's December summit. An EU troika, headed by Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and the country's chief negotiator for Union membership talks Egemen Bagis, to discuss Ankara's integration progress. Turkey has refused to fully implement a trade pact, which expands the Turkish-EU customs union to include Cyprus, unless the EU fulfils its pledge to ease the isolation of Turkish Cypriots. Davutoglu said the problem would be resolved "not by exerting unilateral pressure on Turkey, but by finding a comprehensive, just and durable solution to the Cyprus conflict".

Ahead of the European Council summit next month, Cypriot President Demetris Christofias has sent a letter to all EU member states, warning that Cyprus will be forced to block Turkey's bid unless Ankara meets all its commitments regarding Nicosia. (AFP, Xinhua, Anadolu news agency - 26/11/09)