Turkey's EU Minister Egemen Bagis said on Friday that nobody should expect Turkey to waive Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) for the sake of EU membership or waive EU membership for the sake of TRNC; both cases are indispensible for Turkey and Turkey is on the right path in both cases and decisive to go on its way.
Bagis attended a reception hosted by Istanbul Consul General of TRNC Servet Dorak on Friday for the 30th anniversary of foundation of TRNC at Swiss Hotel in Istanbul.
Speaking at the reception, Bagis touched upon the Cyprus issue and its impact on process of Turkey's bid to join EU and said, “We have common fate, thus nobody should expect us to waive TRNC for the sake of EU or waive EU for the sake of Cyprus issue; Turkey is on the right path on both cases and decisive to go on its way.”
The Cyprus problem has been one of the key obstacles before Turkey’s EU membership process. As a problem going on since 1960s the Cyprus issue has become one of the main priorities of Turkish foreign policy. TRNC was established in 1983 while attempts to reach a solution to the Cyprus dispute have been unsuccessful so far.
