Statement by Yiorgos Loucaides AKEL-Left-New Forces Parliamentary Representative on Turkey’s Progress Report

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 21 February 2019, Nicosia

Turkey’s EU accession course remains a lever for exerting pressure for the fulfillment of its obligations with regards Cyprus. On the contrary, the suspension of the existing procedure and its replacement with another form of “special relationship” will automatically lead to Ankara being relieved of its vitally important obligations with regards the Republic of Cyprus. The proposal of the Progress Report, approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, for an upgrading of the EU-Turkey Customs Union without Ankara’s existing commitments towards the Republic of Cyprus having been previously fully fulfilled and without discriminations, confirms our concerns.

Unfortunately, only the Political Group of the European United Left has shown consistency on this issue by voting against the upgrading of the EU-Turkey Customs Union without any preconditions. Both the European People’s Party, as well as the Socialist Group voted in favour of its upgrading, ignoring Turkey’s negative stand towards the Republic of Cyprus.

At the same time, we note with satisfaction that the proposals we had submitted with the necessary improvements in the references on the Cyprus problem have been approved. More specifically, we point out the reference to a bi-communal, bizonal federal solution with a single sovereignty, a single international personality, a single citizenship and political equality as defined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, the reference to the Framework of the UN Secretary General and to all that has been agreed at Crans Montana, the call on Turkey for the withdrawal of the occupying army from Cyprus, the reference to UN Resolution 550 for the return of Famagusta and to the illegal colonalisation, as well as the call on Turkey to open the files of its armed so that the work of the Committee of Missing Persons is assisted.

As AKEL, together with the Political Group of the European United Left, we shall work so that the positive references of the Report are maintained in the plenary of the European Parliament too.