"Ankara links Cyprus status with peace deal
Greeks ambivalent on Turkish accession
Kathimerini Greece
ATHENS
Ankara yesterday flatly ruled out any move to recognize Cyprus before the two-day European Union summit starting tomorrow, which is expected to grant Turkey a date for the beginning of its EU accession talks.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara had fulfilled all requirements for the initiation of accession talks and would not take any further steps on Cyprus.
His foreign minister, Abdullah Gul, told the Turkish Parliament that there would be no recognition, direct or indirect, before a final peace settlement is achieved on the island.
He added that such a deal could only be brokered by the United Nations - whose peace blueprint was rejected by the Greek Cypriots in an April 24 referendum - and not the EU.
Cyprus has effectively ruled out a veto on Turkey's accession talks."
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