Cyprus warns it will veto EU-Turkey deal
Cyprus has been divided since the Turkish military invaded the island in 1974 and Anastasiades said that Nicosia would block any agreement at a two-day meeting of EU leaders in Brussels unless there was a change to Turkey’s long-standing policy towards the Greek Cypriot government.
“That is what I stressed to our partners during the previous Council on March 7th,” the Cypriot president said. “As long as Turkey doesn’t implement its obligations, we don’t have any other choice.
“It was impossible for anybody to expect that we would agree on that,” he said. “Turkey has to open its harbours and airports (to Cypriot boats and planes) and normalize its relations with Cyprus.
“I am sorry but I have to say that we were not asked if we had the intention to approve (this deal) and therefore this action violated the current rules for the opening of any chapters,” said Anastasiades, referring to the areas of negotiation for Turkey’s EU membership bid.
Speaking earlier on Thursday, European Council president Donald Tusk told reporters that he was “cautiously optimistic, but frankly speaking more cautious than optimistic”.
“The agreement must be acceptable to all 28 member states, no matter big or small,” said Tusk, a former Polish prime minister.
