Cyprus threatens to block Turkey’s EU bid

Cypriot Foreign Minister Marcos Kyprianou said Sunday (January 9th) that Nicosia would never agree to Turkey’s EU accession before the Cypriot issue is resolved. “We not only do not accept Turkey joining the EU, but will also block any further progress in its accession negotiations,” Kyprianou told a state-controlled TV station. He was reacting to a comment by his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu, who said recently that nobody should try Ankara’s patience or force it to choose between northern Cyprus and the EU. “We will not permit Turkey to blackmail its entry into the EU in exchange for a Cyprus solution,” Kyprianou said.