Bagis: "Turkey needs the EU to keep its promises, not a new EU proposal"

Turkey doesn't need a new proposal from the European Union to resolve the standoff over Greek Cyprus but rather the fulfillment of the bloc's existing commitments, said Chief EU Talks Negotiator Egemen Bagis yesterday. "There are several proposals," Bagis said at a conference in Ankara . "But we don't need a new proposal, we need the EU to implement the council decision," he added, referring to an EU promise to lift a trade embargo from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Bagis was responding to reports of an EU proposal to open two more chapters in Turkey 's EU negotiations in return for Ankara opening its ports to Greek Cypriot vessels. He said Turkey would open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot vessels once the EU lifts its embargo on the TRNC. " Turkey is ready to keep its promises, but we also want to see the EU standing ready to keep its own promises," he added. Bagis also said that Europe would benefit from EU countries ending restrictive policies on Turkey .