Turkey's EU minister criticizes council's conclusions

By Kubra Chohan

ANKARA

Turkey's EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik on Friday said the EU Council conclusions on the Greek Cypriot administration were "unacceptable".

On Thursday, the council in a meeting ahead of a Turkey-EU summit in Varna on March 26, condemned Turkey's actions in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas, which separate Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration.

In a statement on Twitter, Celik said: “We consider the Turkey-EU Summit of 26 March in Varna an important opportunity to move our relations forward. We expect the same positive and constructive approach from the EU.

“However, when solidarity takes over legality and equity, then no one can talk about legitimacy. Solidarity is meaningful only when it is legitimate.

“It is so unfortunate that the ones, who told us that the Greek Cypriots and Greeks were responsible for the failure of the Crans-Montana talks for a Cyprus solution, have made such a statement.”

The talks Celik referred to ended in failure in the Swiss city of Crans-Montana last July.

“We will go to Varna with a sincere, well-intentioned and constructive understanding. We hope to see the EU side with the same approach in Varna,” Celik added.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks, and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power.

The island has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including the latest initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkey, Greece and Britain collapsing last year.

Turkey blames Greek Cypriot intransigence for the talks' failure, also faulting the EU for admitting Cyprus as a divided island into the union in 2004 after Greek Cypriot voters rejected a peace deal.