Davutoglu: ”2015 is too late for Turkey's prospective EU membership”

Speaking to Spanish daily El Pais yesterday, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu warned that if Turkey's European Union accession is delayed to 2015, that might be too late for both Turkey and the EU. Urging EU leaders to live up their promises to Turkey, Davutoglu said, "When accession negotiations between Turkey and the EU started in 2005, the EU didn't stipulate such condition. Agreements are signed to be fulfilled." On the 2004 accession of Greek Cyprus to the Union, Davutgolu said, "By admitting the Greek Cypriot administration, the EU violated its own rule specifying that any country that is unable to solve domestic issues and its problems with neighboring countries cannot be admitted to the Union. The Turkish Cypriots accepted then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's plan to solve the Cyprus issue, but the other side rejected it. Despite this rejection, the Greek Cypriots were allowed into the EU as a full member. Instead of doing so, the EU should have urged the Greek Cypriots to accept the UN plan to sort the Cyprus issue out." Stating that Turkey and Greece enjoy good neighborly relations, Davutoglu said that Turkey would continue to pressure Athens for a fair and permanent resolution of the Cyprus issue. Commenting on Greece's weekend elections and the landslide victory of the socialists over the ruling conservatives, Davutoglu said, "We have superb relations with Greece. This was unthinkable 10 years ago. There could be some difficulties in the future, but I'm sure Turkey and Greece will continue their good relations." Among 14 candidates fielded by the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) from the Turkish minority in Western Thrace, two – Ahmet Haciosman and Cetin Mandaci – were elected to the Greek Parliament. Davutoglu said that it may appear that the only problem on the Cyprus issue vis-à-vis the EU is the ports issue, but in fact there are others. Turkey refuses to open its ports to Greek Cypriot ships until the EU establishes trade ties with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). On Iran's controversial nuclear program, Davutoglu said, "All countries have the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Iran also has this right, and should act in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency while exercising it. In case of a disagreement, the issue should be solved through diplomacy."