Southern Cyprus Condition

According to the draft, one third of EU members will be able to freeze membership talks with Turkey. The recognition of the Greek Cypriot section by Turkey is mentioned in the text, indirectly, rather than a preliminary condition.

The draft welcomes Turkey’s decision to recognize the protocol which includes the new members of EU, which includes Greek Cypriots. Once it signed this protocol, Turkey will have recognized the Southern section of Cyprus. However, Turkey was admitted to the Customs Union with EU, without recognizing these.

The European Commission had said that the Commission would recommend the EU Council to freeze talks with Turkey in case of a violation of basic rights and freedoms and such an action could be taken by the votes of a qualified majority. However the new draft empowers the Commission to make such a call and enables one third of the member countries to make such a demand.

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul described the Dutch text as a “Tactic.”

PM Erdogan said that the reference made by the draft to the free movement of Turks in Europe was wrong as “Turkey will contribute to EU with its brain power.”