Context
The EU and Turkey can’t continue ties if Greek Cyprus assumes the presidency of the bloc on its own next year, Turkey’s foreign minister said on Wednesday. Letting Greek Cyprus to take over EU’s rotating presidency in July 2012 with no unification treaty for the divided island will freeze ties between the European Block and Turkey, Ahmet Davutoğlu made it clear during a joint news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Kostyantyn Hryschenko. Responding to the Turkish foreign minister’s statement, EU Commissioner Stefan Fuele said it wasn’t the appropriate time to make such comments. “This term is the right time to accelerate Turkey-EU relations, the reform process and membership negotiations,” he added.
