Irish call to Turkey

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DUBLIN – The Irish Presidency of the EU has urged Turkey to comply with its obligation to fully implement the additional protocol and to make progress in normalizing its bilateral relations with the Republic of Cyprus.

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Irish European Affairs Minister Lucinda Creighton speaking Wednesday before the European Parliament in Strasburg, during a discussion on Turkey’s progress report, noted that there is no progress as regards the full implementation of the additional protocol, which provides for the recognition of Cyprus.

She also stressed that it is unfortunate that Turkey chose to freeze its relations with the EU during the Cyprus Presidency last July and urged the candidate country to normalize its relations with Cyprus.

Creighton also referred to the need for constitutional changes in Turkey and progress in the human rights issue.

Accession negotiations with Turkey began in October 2005. Turkey has so far managed to open 13 of the 34 chapters.

In December 2006, due to the Turkish failure to apply the Additional Protocol to the Ankara Agreement, the European Council decided that eight relevant chapters will not be opened and no chapter will be provisionally closed until Turkey has fulfilled its commitment.

In addition, France has frozen other five chapters, while Cyprus froze in December 2009 other six chapters. The last time that a negotiating chapter opened was during the Spanish EU presidency in June 2010.

Turkey, whose troops have occupied Cyprus’ northern part since the 1974 invasion, does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus and refuses to normalise relations with Nicosia.


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