Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan claimed on Wednesday in Brussels that the Republic of Cyprus, frequently in coordination with Greece, is deliberately obstructing any deepening of relations between Turkey and the European Union.
Speaking after a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting, Fidan accused Nicosia of “obstructionism” and of holding both the EU and Turkey “hostage” on key regional issues.
“Whoever I speak to complains about the Greek Cypriot Administration,” Fidan was quoted by Turkish media as saying.
He described it as unacceptable that “the synergy area concerning the fate of more than 400 million people in the EU and Turkey is being held hostage by a small group of people,” without providing further details.
On the stalled EU accession process, the Turkish minister insisted that “concrete steps” are required, including the reversal of certain 2019 decisions, a reference to the European Parliament’s suspension of accession negotiations over concerns regarding human rights, rule of law, and media freedom in Turkey.
“Some chapters need to be opened and certain blockages removed,” Fidan said. He highlighted recent discussions with senior EU officials, including High Representative Kaja Kallas and Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, which he said covered modernisation of the Turkey-EU Customs Union, visa liberalisation, and European Investment Bank operations in Turkey.
Photo: EPA
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