“Cyprus does not intend to consent to the opening of any new chapters if Turkey does not fulfil its obligations”, Anastasiades said after talks with European Council President Donald Tusk, who said “the key question of legality” still needed to be sorted out for the deal.
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Mr. Tusk (left) and Mr. Anastasiades address reporters in Nicosia.
But there has been a growing pushback against the deal, with both France and the Czech Republic warning Tuesday against attempts by Turkey to “blackmail” Europe.
European Union and Turkish leaders agreed last week to a tentative proposal including the return of migrants landing in Greece and a “one-for-one” swap of Syrian refugees.
In a Daily Telegraph column earlier this month, Hague said Turkey could become a member of the EU’s single market but remain outside arrangements allowing freedom of movement for its nationals within the EU. “The objective is to conclude the negotiations Thursday and Friday this week but we are not there yet”, Tusk said at a press conference in Nicosia.
Roth said that Human Rights Watch is “deeply concerned that in the interests of securing the Joint Action Plan to stem the flow of refugees and migrants, the European Union is willing to turn a blind-eye as Turkey’s president cracks down on human rights and dismantles Turkey’s democratic framework”.
It is “essential” to work with Turkey, “but there must not be the slightest blackmail”, Valls told parliament.
“The EU’s original proposal to Turkey was for three billion euros, now Turkey is asking six billion euros and there is talk… of about up to 20 billion euros”, Zeman said following talks with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda in Prague. “Impolite people like myself call that blackmail”. Member states such as Greece, where arrivals are highest, are struggling to cope. Macedonia has closed its Greek border crossing at Gevgelija, leaving at least 44,000 now stranded in Greece.
Macedonian army spokesman Toni Janevski told AFP the migrants were returned to Greece “without any incident or use of force”.
Under the terms of the putative “one-for-one” deal, Europe will also resettle one refugee direct from Turkish refugee camps for every migrant who is returned to Turkey after trying to cross the Aegean Sea to Greece.
The island of Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded its northern sector in response to an Athens-engineered coup attempt.
Nicosia has repeatedly refused to accept any demands from Turkey until Ankara recognizes the Cypriot government and opens its ports and airports to Cypriot traffic.
Complicating matters further are UN-backed negotiations between the Nicosia government and the Turkish Cypriot administration, which is recognised by Ankara, aimed at reuniting the island.
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“Cyprus is as important as Germany, France, the Netherlands or any other Member State”.
