OR Nicosia appears satisfied with the content of the European Commission’s annual progress report on Turkey.
The Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs Konstantinos Kombos, underlined that the Commission clearly records Ankara’s non-compliance with its Cypriot obligations, the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean and the effects on the Cypriot negotiation process.
The report itself refers to the respect for sovereignty and sovereign rights of the member states, the full implementation of the EU-Turkey Additional Association Protocol and the UN Security Council Resolutions for a solution based on them.
What the Report on the Eastern Mediterranean and Varosia records
In her text Commission the need to avoid unilateral actions that increase tension is reiterated, while special mention is made to Varosia and in the non-reversal of illegal actions in the walled city. The report notes that Turkey’s accession negotiations have remained at a standstill since 2018, linking the overall Euro-Turkish relationship to tangible compliance steps. K. Kombos also spoke about the “more active involvement” of the EU, with explicit reference to the process of appointing a special envoy. Johannes Hahn has already been appointed Special Envoy of the Commission for the Cyprus issue, with the task of supporting, in coordination with the UN, the efforts to restart the process.
OR Turkish side has already dismissed the report as “biased”, although it acknowledges some positive reports on the economy and normalization with the EU. Ankara’s line, as reflected in the public reaction of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, shows that the political distance with Brussels remains palpable.
The five Greek Cypriot prisoners in the occupied territories
K. Kombos made special mention of the case of the five Greek Cypriots who were arrested on July 19 in the occupied territories and are still being held. The issue has also concerned the European Parliament, which with its recent decision condemns the detention of European citizens in the occupied territories and calls for the issue to be dealt with immediately.
SAFE: Each member state decides for Turkey
When asked whether the report affects Turkey’s participation in the European SAFE (Security Action for Europe) program, K. Kombos clarified that these are different issues. He reminded, however, that the final regulatory framework of SAFE leaves each member state the right to decide whether or not to proceed with a bilateral agreement with an interested third country. The public debate has already shown that the participation of third countries in SAFE is subject to conditions that should not conflict with the security interests of the Union and the Member States.
Euro-Turkish relations
At the political level, the report reminds that any strengthening of Euro-Turkish relations goes through the Conclusions of the European Council and therefore through Ankara’s specific progress in the rule of law, regional behavior and respect for obligations towards Cyprus and Greece. In the meantime, the accession negotiations remain essentially “frozen”, while the pressure is expected to continue for the resumption of substantive talks on the Cyprus issue.
“Turkey’s European perspective is important and should be encouraged,” the Cypriot Foreign Minister stressed, adding that the decision is in Ankara’s hands. if it chooses to move in that direction, the road map exists and has been repeatedly confirmed. The next period will show whether today’s recording by the Commission can act as a lever for substantial de-escalation and a return to a realistic negotiating table.
Manolis Kalatzis – Nicosia