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Turkey Urged to Deal with Greek Cypriots

The European Union warned membership aspirant Turkey this week that accession talks for the majority-Muslim country to join the E.U. could be threatened unless Ankara establishes sea and air ties with the Greek Cypriot?s in the Republic of Cyprus, which is an E.U. member and is the dominant power throughout the southern half of the island of Cyprus. Turkey, after an invasion of northern Cyprus in 1974 and the establishment of an illegitimate republic there, has previously refused to deal with the Republic of Cyprus to the south.

However, Turkey earnestly hopes to become a member of the ever-expanding European Union and as all member countries have to approve before a country can join, the Greek Cypriots have an effective veto over Turkish membership that they can and have and are using to get Turkey to soften its positions toward the Republic of Cyprus. European diplomats had initially hoped that Cyprus would enter the European Union fully unified, but a U.N.-brokered referendum was not passed by both sides and thus only the southern half of the island is an E.U. member (although technically the whole island should be).

Many European leaders worry that the E.U. is expanding too quickly. Still others, in countries such as France, openly worry about a Muslim-majority country being allowed into the economic-political union that still has many Muslim refugees and immigrants living in it who have yet to adjust to the culture of Europe. There are other nations aspiring to join the European Union and they are likely to not have the same hang-ups as Turkey, meaning that Ankara may eventually get so frustrated as to stop its bid, at the same time bringing to a halt the hopes for a re-united island of Cyprus.