Turkey is issuing threats on the Republic of Cyprus’ natural gas exploration anew, this time through an announcement from Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who said on Thursday that the Greek Cypriot community is taking unilateral actions in its search for natural gas.
According to Sigma’s correspondent in Istanbul, Cavusoglu said: “Even if we are making an honest effort to settle the Cyprus problem, we do not see the same from the Greek Cypriot side, especially during the pre-election period. We do not find correct, the unilateral steps of the Greek Cypriot side on the issue of natural and the oil reserves around Cyprus. Despite our warning on this issue, unfortunately since there was no retreat now, Turkey will also take some steps.”
Cavusoglu also said that in June Turkey will place its last application for visa liberalisation to the EU.
“We want to solve the issue of the visa with the EU. We need to receive the visa as an exchange. It is part of the agreement on the refugees, we signed,” he said.
An EU report from May 2016 shows that Turkey still has five more conditions to meet out of the 72 outlined to receive visa liberalisation.
The five conditions are as follows:
1. Continue implementing the National Strategy and the Action Plan on the Fight against Corruption and the recommendations of the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO)
• Turkey adopted on 30 April 2016 a new strategy and action on corruption
• Turkey has still to adopt legislation giving an effective follow up to the recommendations issued by GRECO
2. Provide effective judicial cooperation in criminal matters, including in extradition matters, to all EU Member States
• The Turkish authorities have expressed the intention to establish closer contacts with Member States’ authorities in order to further clarify the legislation and procedures applicable in Turkey, and the modalities to ensure prosecution of the criminals whenever extradition is not possible.
3. Conclude and implement an Operational Cooperation Agreement with EUROPOL
• The Turkish authorities sent a letter to EUROPOL on 2 May 2016 to express their desire to sign an operational cooperation agreement with EUROPOL
4. Adopt and implement legislation on the protection of personal data in line with the EU standards
• Changes are necessary to Turkey’s law on Personal Data Protection of 24 March 2016, notably to ensure that the data protection authority can act in an independent manner and that the activities of law enforcement agencies fall within the scope of the law
5. Revise – in line with the ECHR and with the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) case law, the EU acquis and EU Member States practices – the legal framework as regards organised crime and terrorism, as well as its interpretation by the courts and by the security forces and the law enforcement agencies, so as to ensure the right to liberty and security, the right to a fair trial and freedom of expression, of assembly and association in practice
• Turkey needs to revise its legislation and practices on terrorism in line with European standards, notably by better aligning the definition of terrorism in order to narrow the scope
• A draft law on the establishment of a commission to inspect alleged violations committed by the law enforcement agencies in times of peace is being drafted by Turkish authorities, but has not yet been adopted
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