AKEL ON OPENING OF CHAPTER 22 ON TURKEY’S EU ACCESSION
Statement of Costas Christodoulides, Head of the
International Relations and European Affairs Department of the C.C. of AKEL
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 1st July 2013, Nicosia
The General Affairs Council of the European Union, with the participation of EU Foreign Affairs Ministers approved, as it is known, Chapter 22 in Turkey’s EU accession talks concerning regional policy using a formula for its opening after this coming October.
We note that at the recent session of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) of the European Parliament and the Turkish National Assembly strong voices were heard from that podium that “this move should be combined with the opening of another two very important chapters, namely the Judiciary-Fundamental Rights and Freedom-Security.” In conjunction with the statements made by leading officials of the EU member-states who openly backed this position, the conclusion is drawn that this move is perceived as heralding the full normalization of Turkey’s accession course without the latter having complied with its obligations towards this very accession course itself, but also with regards the EU conclusions demanding specific steps to be taken by Turkey with regards Turkey’s relations with the Republic of Cyprus and the Cyprus problem.
Furthermore, we point out the intervention of the EPP MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijten during the session of the JPC stating that the it is the new government of Cyprus which has permitted the opening of Chapter 22. We pose the following question to the Government: How is this statement in line with the Governments policy? Shouldn’t an overall planning have been discussed instead of tackling issues in a fragmentary and piecemeal way?
AKEL believes that the broader, selfish and strategically important interests of certain forces in relation to Turkey’s role in the region are seeking to possibly subjugate Turkey’s obligations. These obligations stem from both International Law, as well as from the decisions of the European Council. AKEL considers that the Turkish side’s intransigent position is clear. All those interested in Turkey’s accession course and in the solution of the Cyprus problem should focus their efforts towards this direction.
This is the reason why the government’s positions must be absolutely clear.
