Turkey condemns EU report over Cyprus as ‘detached from reality’

Turkey on Wednesday rejected the European Commission’s criticism of its policies in Cyprus, accusing the EU of adopting the positions of Greece and the Republic. In a statement responding to the commission’s enlargement report, the Turkish foreign ministry accused Brussels of taking a “biased and unfair” approach to Turkey and said the EU could not contribute to a settlement of the Cyprus problem while “unconditionally supporting the Greek Cypriot position”. The commission’s report lambasted Turkey’s continued refusal to recognise the Republic of Cyprus, its advocacy of a two-state solution and its military activities in the occupied north. It also called on Ankara to normalise relations with Cyprus and respect the sovereign rights of EU member states. Related Articles • EU tells Turkey to ‘normalise relations’ with Republic of Cyprus Turkey rejected the findings, arguing that Greece and the Republic of Cyprus were defending “maximalist positions” that were incompatible with international law and ignored what it described as “the legitimate rights and interests of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots”. The ministry also dismissed the commission’s assessment of the Levant, including its criticism of a maritime delimitation agreement between Turkey and Libya. It said the EU’s position on the memorandum held no validity and accused European officials of applying double standards. The report, which mentioned Cyprus 52 times, detailed a series of concerns over Turkey’s activities on the island and its approach to the Cyprus problem. It said Ankara had continued to advocate a two-state settlement, contrary to United Nations Security Council resolutions, while entrenching itself in the internationally unrecognised north. The commission also raised concerns over Turkey’s military presence, including further upgrades to its drone base at Lefkoniko and naval base at Bogazi. It reported continued flights by Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles in Cyprus’s flight information and national airspace, as well as a temporary increase in military deployments, including F-16 fighter jets and air defence systems during the Iran war. The report said the deployment of Turkish F-16s at Tymbou (Ercan) airport followed the arrival of Greek fighter jets in Paphos, with both deployments taking place after a drone attack against the British bases in Cyprus and the arrival of European and British naval forces to protect the island. It also cited reports of harassment of Cypriot fishing vessels and continued restrictions on ships connected to the Republic of Cyprus entering Turkish ports. Ankara was criticised for refusing entry to vessels flying the Republic’s flag, as well as those owned by Cypriot interests or carrying cargo from the island. The commission further raised concerns over inadequate communication between Turkish and Cypriot air traffic control centres, which it said continued to compromise aviation safety in the Nicosia flight information region. Other points of criticism included Turkey’s plans for a natural gas pipeline under the Levantine Sea between Anamur and Kyrenia and its continued pursuit of an electricity cable connecting Turkey to the island. However, the report acknowledged that irregular migrant arrivals in Cyprus from Turkey had fallen by almost a third. In its response, the Turkish foreign ministry also rejected criticism of its domestic political and judicial record, describing the commission’s findings on fundamental rights and political criteria as baseless. The EU report had raised concerns over legal action against elected officials, opposition figures and civil society, saying the gap between Turkey’s stated ambition to join the bloc and its record on democratic standards had widened.