Cyprus Will Not Veto Turkey's EU Accession Talks

by Lorys Charalambous, Tax-News.com, Cyprus

11 October 2004

Cyprus maintains the right to use its veto during the negotiations that will lead to Turkey’s accession to the EU but is unlikely to use this power, a Cypriot government spokesman explained last week.

Commenting on the European Commission’s recommendations setting out the conditions for Turkey’s accession negotiations, described by Commission president Romano Prodi as a “qualified yes” to Turkish participation, Greek Cypriot spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides told reporters that they represent a good basis on which to work towards a possible settlement on the Island, despite the fact that the report barely gave a mention to Cyprus.

Chrysostomides noted: “Although direct reference to Cyprus is made only once in the Commission’s recommendations, the Cyprus problem and its various aspects are everywhere in the Recommendation.”

He added: “There is now a framework and a process within which our side can move in a bid to make the best out of existing possibilities and those that may arise towards achieving our objectives.”

On the question of the veto, Chrysostomides confirmed that Cyprus retains the right to use this power in the case of the Turkish accession, but has no intention of doing so.

“The President of the Republic has said and I repeat: We do not wish to exercise the veto,” he declared.

However, he qualified the statement with the observation that: “Of course, fundamental issues that concern us too will have to be taken into consideration.”

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