Friday, April 20, 2012

Polish PM Tusk Rips Turkey for Its EU Threats; Threatens to Punish Cyprus and EU for Cyprus Role

The Europe News website reports today (April 20, 2012) that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has stressed that the European Union (EU) should not accept any Turkish threats against the Republic of Cyprus, which will assume the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2012.

Speaking yesterday during a press conference with President Demetris Christofias in Nicosia, Cyprus, the Polish Prime Minister noted that the Republic of Cyprus would assume the EU presidency as a member state of the Union and will thus represent the whole Union.

"It is not possible to have any threat for the presidency and we do not accept, and I believe, the EU should not accept these threats," Tusk said.

Turkey invaded the predominantly Greek Orthodox island of Cyprus in 1974, and seized control of the northern third of that island, which it still controls today. Turkey has threatened to upgrade this occupied area and to freeze its relations with the EU, if Cyprus is granted the six-month rotating presidency of the EU -- which it is scheduled to do -- in July of this year.

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