Ankara urges EU to revise Cyprus entry rules

In a briefing for ambassadors of the EU countries in Ankara, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal said it was time to remedy the injustices done to the Turkish Cypriots.

The regulations of Cypriot accession stipulate that implementation of EU norms in the Turkish north will be suspended in the event of a failure to unite the island before its EU accession. Noting that the island’s unification failed because of Greek Cypriot rejection, Turkish officials complained that this created the impression that Greek Cypriots represent the entire island.

Revisions to the regulations are important because they will constitute the basis on which relations between the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) and the EU will be shaped.

Officials also said the regulations did not take into account talks aimed at reunification of the island, which started earlier this year in New York and later were moved to Cyprus and Switzerland, and the eventual collapse of this negotiation process due to a Greek Cypriot "no" vote in Saturday’s referendum.

Greek Cypriots voted 75.8 percent to reject the UN plan for reunification of the island while the Turkish side cast a 65 percent vote to support the plan. But the Greek Cypriot rejection made the UN plan null and void, effectively blocking the Turkish Cypriots’ chance to become a member of the EU.

Turkey insists sanctions imposed on the Turkish Cypriot side for decades should now be lifted because they voted for reunification.