Cyprus And Greece Slam Turkey's Customs Agreement Proviso

by Ulrika Lomas, for LawAndTax-News.com, Brussels

02 August 2005

The Turkish authorities have finally signed a protocol extending the 1963 customs agreement with the European Union to the ten new member states, a move which was a prerequisite for the country's commencement of EU membership talks in October.

However, as expected, the government attached a proviso to the agreement stressing that it did not imply a recognition of the legitimacy of the Greek-Cypriot government's claim to represent the whole island.

According to reports in the international media, the statement piggy-backed onto the agreement announced that:

"The signing, ratification and implementation of this protocol in no way means recognition of the Republic of Cyprus, which the protocol refers to."

"Turkey will continue to regard the Greek Cypriot authorities as exercising authority, control and jurisdiction only in the territory south of the buffer zone (in Cyprus)... and as not representing the Turkish Cypriot people and will treat the acts performed by them accordingly."

Turkish foreign minister Abdullah Gul reportedly went on to add that:

"The Greek and Cypriot-Greek parties assert that our adding a declaration is a 'political mishap' - their attitude is more of a political mishap, having not accepted an internationally-backed agreement and turning down any practical solution."

Greek Cypriot president, Tassos Papadopoulos has threatened to veto the opening of Turkey's EU membership talks if Cyprus has not been recognised as a full member of the EU by the country's authorities at that point.

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