France Urges Turkey To Recognize Cyprus

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

04 August 2005

Speaking on French radio on Tuesday, France's Prime Minister, Dominique de Villepin cast doubt on the possibility of Turkey beginning EU membership talks later this year if it fails to recognize Cyprus as a full and equal member of the Union.

On Friday, the Turkish authorities 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.

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."

However, M. de Villepin observed earlier this week that:

"It seems to me inconceivable that such a negotiation process can begin with a country which does not recognise every one of the members of the European Union, that is to say the 25."

He continued:

"There is a principle there that seems to me must be defended, and is one France will make clear to Turkey as well as to other European Union countries during the next meetings."

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