Brussels: There will be “no further development” on Turkey unless there are developments on the Cyprus issue, Slovenian candidate for the position of Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, stated in her responses before the committee on foreign affairs (AFET) of the European Parliament during her hearing on Thursday.
According to Cyprus News Agency, after the fourth day of hearings, MEPs had given the green light to almost all Commissioner-designate candidates, including Kos. An exception was made for Hungarian candidate Oliver Varhelyi, who is required to submit written answers to new questions by Monday. Kos emphasized during her hearing that any further progress on Turkey’s EU membership is contingent on developments concerning the Cyprus issue, recalling that accession negotiations with Turkey have been halted due to Ankara’s general attitude. Despite this, she noted Turkey’s importance as a key partner for the EU.
Kos was responding to a question from a Finnish ECR MEP regarding Turkey’s potential as
a prospective EU member, considering its actions related to migration, NATO membership delays, the Cyprus occupation, and the imprisonment of activists. Kos referenced a joint report by the HRVP and the Commission, suggesting that discussions with Turkey should move beyond the enlargement process. She clarified that the negotiation process is presently frozen as Turkey has not adhered to EU rules.
In her initial remarks, Kos highlighted the importance of the United Nations-led process in resolving the Cyprus issue, which she described as the appropriate path to achieve peace on the divided island. This resolution, she stated, would significantly influence the future EU-Turkey relationship. Kos committed to engaging with Turkey, emphasizing that cooperation must extend beyond economic and geographical considerations.
Turkey’s permanent representative to the EU, Farouk Kaimakci, and other Turkish officials were present at the hearing. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 following Turkey’s invasion and occupati
on of its northern third. Despite numerous UN-led peace talks, a resolution has yet to be achieved, with the most recent negotiations in July 2017 at Crans-Montana ending without an agreement.