Cyprus President denounces the EU’s ‘double standards’ with Turkey

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades has denounced the European Union’s “double requirements” and “tolerance” in direction of Turkey, arguing it emboldens Ankara to ignore worldwide legislation and dangers triggering a brand new battle within the continent.

In an interview with Euronews, Anastasiades harshly criticised Turkey’s actions and referred to as out his fellow EU leaders for limiting their solidarity with Nicosia to only “phrases.”

For Anastasiades, the EU’s a number of political and financial hyperlinks with Turkey enable the nation to retain its standing of candidate to affix the bloc, granting Ankara a type of diplomatic defend.

Turkey’s accession has gone via many diplomatic ups and downs and is right this moment nearly frozen.

“It’s not potential for us [the EU] to say that Russia is violating worldwide legislation, however when worldwide legislation is violated by a candidate nation in opposition to different members of the European Union, we faux that we don’t perceive the importance,” Anastasiades stated.

“It’s this tolerance that emboldens [Turkey] and creates the chance of a brand new battle in Europe.”

Tensions between Cyprus and Turkey

The president’s crucial feedback centered on the decades-long and unresolved Cyprus dispute, which dates again to 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup aimed toward unifying the island with Greece.

Quite a few rounds of talks below the auspices of the United Nations have taken place in a bid to realize a diplomatic answer however have all resulted in failure.

A Turkish Cypriot breakaway “state” is recognised solely by Turkey, whereas the Republic of Cyprus has an internationally recognised authorities led by Greek Cypriots.

Cyprus has been a full-time EU member state since 2004. However the longstanding territorial battle has prevented the nation from becoming a member of the passport-free Schengen Space, in addition to NATO.

Tensions across the island elevated after Erdoğan unveiled final month plans to bolster Turkey’s army presence within the northern area.

The dispute, Anastasiades stated, was raised by French President Emmanuel Macron throughout final week’s assembly of the European Political Group, a brand new discussion board that gathered greater than 40 European leaders in Prague.

Anastasiades claims that when President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took the ground, he emphasised the necessity to protect “sovereign equality,” an implicit reference to a two-state answer, which Cyprus and the EU oppose.

“I ponder why he was given the ground within the first place,” the Cypriot president stated.

Whereas in Prague, Anastasiades stated, Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel supplied to host talks between Nicosia and Ankara however Erdoğan stated it was not the proper time.

On the finish of the assembly, Erdoğan instructed reporters that Turkey wanted to “safe Northern Cyprus from all sides, from all features,” together with by sending drones to the area. The Turkish authorities didn’t reply to a request for touch upon Tuesday.

Anastasiades, who desires to restart the stalled talks, rebuked the Turkish chief’s strategy.

“You can not invoke worldwide legislation and, on the similar time, interpret it as you would like, threatening to violate the sovereignty of Greek islands, for instance, or to violate United Nations resolutions on the Cyprus dispute,” he stated.

“In different phrases, the fixed efforts to create new fait accompli inside Cyprus, the fixed threats in opposition to Greece, can’t go unnoticed by the European Union.”

The Turkish authorities didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

Anastasiades bemoans the EU’s ‘double requirements’

All through the interview with Euronews, Anastasiades juxtaposed the EU’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with the EU’s response to the continuing tensions within the Jap Mediterranean.

“Pursuits can’t take priority over rules and values,” Anastasiades stated, referring to the prevailing commerce and monetary hyperlinks between the bloc and Turkey.

“We can’t say that we’re presently making sacrifices to assist Ukraine – and rightly so – to deal with the unlawful invasion and violation of its territorial integrity and, on the similar time, we put our pursuits first in our relationships with Turkey.”

Requested if he was disenchanted by the response from his fellow European leaders, Anastasiades stated he was “bitter” and bemoaned “double requirements” of the worldwide group, together with the EU and the UN, with regard to Turkey and Russia.

Russia has been the goal of extreme worldwide criticism because it launched its warfare in Ukraine, though some international locations, like China and India, have refused to take a transparent place. Russia has additionally been slapped with quite a few sanctions by Western international locations.

Final week, the EU permitted one other package deal of sanctions, together with the authorized foundation to introduce a world value cap on the maritime commerce of Russian oil. Cyprus, alongside Greece and Malta, raised issues concerning the proposed cap and the potential implications for his or her home delivery industries.

The issues have been addressed throughout negotiations and the package deal was endorsed with a prohibition to offer companies to any Russian cargo that sells oil above the G7 cap, whatever the flag it carries.

Anastasiades appeared glad by the compromise and stated the eye ought to flip to international locations – “pleasant international locations that belong to the European political household” – that may be circumventing the sanctions or serving to the Kremlin to take action.

“I will probably be extra particular: I’m speaking about Turkey, which even facilitates the export of merchandise equivalent to Russian metal to Europe through Turkey,” Anastasiades stated.

“Allow us to have a look at the invites that the Turkish authorities is extending to Russian oligarchs, to host Russian vessels, and so forth., and generally at Turkey’s complete behaviour, which, on the one hand, weakens the [EU] sanctions, whereas alternatively, it makes it simpler for different international locations to observe the identical course.”

A European Fee spokesperson stated the newest package deal of sanctions included a provision to blacklist these accused of circumventing the measures.

“We preserve stressing to companions the significance to align with our sanction or at the very least to not enable Russia to avoid these sanctions,” the spokesperson stated.

“The EU overseas coverage is the results of unanimity amongst member states, so it’s what all member states agree, together with Cyprus.”