Cyprus demands recognition from Turkey before consenting to EU deal

Cyprus will refuse new chapters in Turkey EU accession negotiations while Turkey illegally occupies island's north.

Middle East Online

European Council President Donald Tusk (L) and Cyprus' President Nicos Anastasiades NICOSIA - Cyprus on Tuesday threatened to derail a proposed EU deal with Turkey to curb the flow of migrants to Europe, insisting on longstanding demands including that Ankara recognise its government. "Cyprus does not intend to consent to the opening of any new chapters if Turkey does not fulfil its obligations," Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said after talks with EU president Donald Tusk. EU and Turkish leaders agreed last week to a tentative proposal including the return of migrants landing in Greece and a "one-for-one" swap of Syrian refugees. Cyprus has expressed reservations, not least as its longtime adversary Turkey expects the accord to lead to the opening of new chapters in Ankara's longstanding EU membership bid and to ease visa requirements in Europe's passport-free Schengen area. Anastasiades said Cyprus would not accept "the Turkish demands without (the) implementation of Turkey's long-pending obligations" in its EU membership bid. Tusk, who heads Tuesday to Ankara for talks ahead of negotiations on the EU-Turkey proposal, admitted "we are not there yet" in terms of a deal. "The Turkish proposal... still needs to be rebalanced so as to be accepted by all 28 member states and the EU institutions," he told reporters. The plan to expel migrants en masse from Greece has sparked international criticism, with the UN's top officials on refugees and human rights questioning whether it would be legal. Officials have also expressed concern over the potential need for compromise with Ankara, as fears grow over freedom of expression and rights abuses under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "One of the issues to be sorted out is the key question of legality," Tusk said. A Cypriot refusal of the migrant-swap deal would effectively block the largest diplomatic push yet to ease Europe's burden of accommodating hundreds of thousands of refugees, many of whom enter the EU through Turkey. The island of Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded its northern sector in response to an Athens-engineered coup attempt. Turkey does not recognise the government of Cyprus and Nicosia has blocked six key chapters of Ankara's negotiations for EU membership since 2009, effectively halting the process. Cyprus insists Turkey must first meet its longstanding demands for recognition, and to open up trade ties, ports and airports. Complicating matters further is a UN-backed negotiation process between Greek and Turkish Cypriot administrations aimed at reuniting the island. European sources say EU officials admit that they took the wrong approach to Cyprus's concerns, which were overlooked in the enthusiasm among members states for a deal. At one point last week in Brussels, Anastasiades was involved in a heated confrontation with five key European figures, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in which he came under heavy pressure to back the accord, sources said. Germany registered a record influx of asylum seekers that reached 1.1 million in 2015. Tusk's Cyprus visit was arranged at the last minute -- a sign of Brussel's realisation that a new approach is needed. "I am not here to exert pressure on Cyprus," the EU president told reporters. "I am here to listen to your position."