In TRNC, Erdogan vows to freeze ties with EU if Greek Cyprus takes presidency next year single-handedly

In his first official visit abroad to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) since his reelection last month, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan marked the anniversary of 37th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation by stressing Ankara's solidarity with the TRNC. "No one can make plans over the TRNC," said Erdogan. "Neither embargo nor isolation can be imposed on the TRNC. There is no state called Cyprus, but only the Greek Cypriot administration and the TRNC." Erdogan said steps can only be taken on the island if a fair, comprehensive, two-state solution is reached. Ankara will freeze its ties with the European Union if Greek Cyprus takes the bloc's rotating presidency next July single-handedly, he said, accusing the European Union of acting dishonestly toward Turkey. "This is our final stance," said Erdogan. "How can we sit at the negotiating table with a Greek Cypriot administration that we don't recognize? We don't care what the EU thinks about this. The EU should have thought about it when it accepted them (the Greek Cypriots) into the EU (in 2004). The EU has wronged us." He added, "We will never negotiate with the EU during the Greek Cypriot administration's rotating presidency. Our relations with the EU will be frozen for six months." Turkey's EU Minister Egemen Bagis also said yesterday that the European Commission should encourage the parties on Cyprus to reach a settlement. "Ensuring a lasting, fair and comprehensive solution on Cyprus is the requirement of Turkish policy, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been one step ahead (on this) since 2002," when his party first won power, he added.