The European Parliament yesterday called on the Turkish Government to contribute "in concrete terms" to the comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue.
The strongly worded resolution drafted by Dutch MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijten and MEPs said Turkey would help "facilitate a suitable climate for negotiations by immediately starting the withdrawal of its forces from the northern part of the island and addressing the issue of settlements of Turkish citizens".
Progress on concrete reforms remained limited in 2009, the resolution added. The European Parliament recalled that the opening of negotiations in 2005 was the starting point for "a long-lasting and open-ended process". Furthermore MEPs deplored the non-implementation of the Additional Protocol to the EC-Turkey Association Agreement for the "fourth consecutive year". "Failure to do so may further seriously affect the process of negotiations", they warned.
According to the Cyprus Mail, Cypriot MEP Ioannis Kasoulides described the resolution as the strongest yet to come out of the parliament. It adds that during the debate before the vote, Spanish Minister for European Affairs Lopez Garrido stressed that implementation of the Ankara Protocol, which requires Turkey to open its ports and airports to Cypriot ships and vessels, was a necessity for the continuation of accession negotiations.
“If there is no progress on this, no more chapters can be opened,” Garrido underlined. He also said that one of the decisive factors for Turkey's assessment included its contribution to the efforts to reach a solution in Cyprus.
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