Commissioner Tajani says Turkey to join EU if its follows rules

Vice President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Transport Antonio Tajani said on Saturday that Turkey could join the EU only if it respects the rules of the EU.

Speaking at a press conference in Limassol, Tajani said he looked forward to the lifting of Turkish embargoes on Cyprus, through dialogue, not sanctions.

Tajani noted that the EU has asked Turkey to lift all restrictions on the free movement of goods and products, including the restrictions regarding means of transport in Cyprus.

He pointed out that the EU accession process for Turkey provided for the respect of certain rules, noting that the EU was asking Turkey to permit free movement and lift the restrictions.

Regarding the possibility of imposing sanctions on Turkey, Tajani said efforts were being made to solve problems and not create more, noting that problems concerning Cyprus should be solved through dialogue and not sanctions, which would not lead to fair solutions.

However, he pointed out that Turkey could only join the EU if it followed the rules, and expressed appreciation to the efforts made by the government of Cyprus to reach a solution of the political problem.