Erdogan lambastes "biased" EP progress report, urging EU to abandon double standard on Cyprus

Hosting a luncheon for European Union ambassadors in Ankara just one day after the European Parliament passed a controversial progress report on Turkey, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday rebuked the EU over its policies toward Turkey and blasted the EP report as biased. The report, written by Dutch Christian Democrat Ria Oomen-Ruijten, called on Turkey to hand over a Turkish Cypriot town to Greek Cypriots and to immediately begin the withdrawal of Turkish troops, which Ankara interpreted as placing all the responsibility for the lack of a resolution to the decades-old issue on its shoulders. "Are the eyes of the European Parliament blind to the Cyprus issue within the framework of the ongoing negotiations on Cyprus?" Erdogan said in a speech. "The report they released led to disappointment in Turkey. They should open their eyes." He charged, "The European Parliament is acting like a spokesperson for the Greek Cypriot side." In related news, the Foreign Ministry yesterday slammed the report as "one-sided and at variance with the facts," warning that it could damage Turkey's EU accession process. "It is only possible for Turkey to accept reports from the EU if they are neutral, unbiased, and unhampered by the internal politics of the bloc's parliament," said a ministry statement. "It's upsetting that the report touches on what Turkey has failed to do but fails to mention the promises that the EU failed to meet regarding Turkish Cypriots." Touching on debates over Turkey's European identity, Erdogan, meanwhile, stated that continuing to dispute Turkey's "Europeanness" is pointless, adding that it is high time for the EU to keep its pledges to Turkey. "Regretfully, the Turkish public has become frustrated by anti-enlargement remarks and debates over whether Turkey is a part of Europe," he said. "Although all member states signed the (2002) agreement to launch accession negotiations with Turkey, it is discouraging and unrealistic to question its European identity." He also spoke about Turkey's reforms and progress in its bid to join the European Union. Stating that Turkey has made great strides in democratization over the last seven years, Erdogan said, "Turkey is determinedly continuing its democratization process," citing as evidence the government's democratic initiative to address the so-called Kurdish question or southeastern Anatolia issue through expanding democratic rights and freedoms for Turkish citizens of Kurdish origin. "The steps Turkey takes are the biggest guarantee for the EU," he added. "Our determination for EU accession should no longer be questioned. We will continue to do our part, as we have done so far."