Cyprus President urges EU to toughen its stance with Turkey

President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias urged the European Union to toughen its stance with Turkey, ahead of the assessment of Turkey’s compliance with its EU obligations, including the ones concerning the Republic of Cyprus.

Likening the EU's concessions to Ankara to the appeasement of Adolf Hitler in the 1930s, President Christofias said there are rules in the EU which Turkey does not respect.

''I don't compare Turkey with Nazi Germany,'' he said in an interview with Guardian , adding ''but it is not reasonable to say don't challenge Turkey because it will get angry. There are rules and unfortunately Turkey does not respect those rules. This reminds me of the situation before the second world war, appeasing Hitler so he doesn't become more aggressive”.

Referring to the UN – led direct talks which began September 2008 between himself and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat with a view to reach a solution to the Cyprus problem, President Christofias noted that talks face problems.

''Unfortunately, my expectations have not been justified,'' he said in his interview, adding ''we have differences and divergences, deep, deep differences.''

President Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat have been engaged in talks since September 2008 with a view to find a mutually acceptable solution that will reunite the country, divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied the island’s northern third.

After Cyprus' accession to the EU Turkey refused to extent its Customs Union to Cyprus, a commitment known as the Ankara Protocol, to open its ports and airports to vessel and aircraft bearing the Cypriot flag and to normalise its relations with the Republic of Cyprus.

In 2006 the EU decided to freeze eight of the 35 EU – Turkey negotiating chapters due to Ankara's refusal to comply with its EU obligations. The rest of the chapters continue to go ahead, but the eight shall not be concluded until Turkey fulfills its obligations.

The EU will assess Turkey's progress at the December EU Council.