Bagis: EU negotiations with Turkey to stall during Greek Cypriot presidency

Turkish EU Affairs Minister and chief EU negotiator Egemen Bagis has said a new chapter would not be opened in Turkey's EU membership negotiations while the Greek Cypriot administration holds the office of the EU's rotating presidency. The presidency of the Greek Cypriot administration will not change Turkey's stance, added Bagis, who spoke to NTV on Saturday. "Our relations with the commission, parliament and EU member states will continue as before," said Bagis. "But we will not establish relations with the Greek Cypriot administration just because some countries call it the EU president." "If the Greek Cypriot administration calls on us to open a new chapter, we will give a date after the term of the presidency of the Greek Cypriots has expired," he added. Bagis added that European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule will visit Ankara on May 17.