EPP: Withdrawal of tour. troops to facilitate talks

Joseph Daul, President of the European People's Party (EPP is the political family that includes both the German CDU / CSU and the Austrian APP, which has launched the dialogue on Turkey's European perspective), calls on Turkey to "facilitate a climate conducive to free negotiations and a concrete contribution to the ongoing efforts to withdraw Turkish troops from the island. " The appeal comes after intense discussions within the EPP on Turkey's future course towards the EU, stressing that "Turkey does not escape the non-recognition of an EU member state, namely Cyprus".

President Daul gave an exclusive interview to KYPE, following months of internal discussions between the parties of the EPP political family on the future of EU-Turkey relations, accession negotiations and possible future partnerships, proposed by some of its members (Austria ).

Joseph Daul, conveying the already agreed positions of the main European member governments of the EPP, clearly explains that the settlement of the Cyprus problem "separates Turkey and its European ambitions". He is also adamant that Turkey at this stage does not meet the criteria to join the EU.

In particular, when asked by KYPE to comment on who was responsible for the collapse of the talks on resolving the Cyprus problem, President Daul explains: “The failure to reach a comprehensive settlement at the Crans Montana conference was disappointing. We reaffirm our support for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Cyprus problem, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and in full compliance with EU law. Peace and stability in the region are at stake, as well as the well-being of the Cypriot people and economic development of the island ”.

He adds, however, "the game of blaming is not productive. On the contrary, I and all the leaders of the EPP prefer to congratulate President Nikos Anastasiadis, whose dedication and commitment have greatly contributed to advancing the negotiations ". He goes on to say that "I am convinced that the Cypriot people will trust him again on January 28" and clarified that "on the other hand, we call on Turkey to facilitate a climate conducive to free negotiations and to make a concrete contribution to the ongoing settlement efforts." including the withdrawal of Turkish forces. "

Answering a question from KYPE on how Turkey can escape the fact that it does not recognize an EU member state and that President Daul answers: “Turkey is not escaping anything. Its accession negotiations are not progressing. Although we have cooperation in many areas, notably migration, the fight against terrorism and trade, the interests of all 28 EU Member States, especially Cyprus, must be respected and protected: the EPP line is very clear in this point ”.

On the occasion of the presentation of the ideas brought by the members of the EPP (Austria) for some other form of partnership (apart from full integration), he replies: "Let's look at the events in order. "Formal negotiations began in 2005, but until the implementation of the additional protocol of the Ankara Association Agreement in relation to Cyprus, eight negotiation chapters will not be opened and no chapters will be temporarily closed."

"But we owe clarity to European citizens and Turkish citizens on EU-Turkey relations and it will be an important issue for the EPP before the 2019 European elections. At this stage, Turkey does not meet the criteria. of the European Union. These are the facts ", he emphasizes.

But when asked about the possibility of upgrading the customs union with Turkey to the EU, he said: "The EU customs union agreement has been in place for more than 20 years and it may be time to update it. "The EU is an important trading partner for Turkey and vice versa: the EU is Ankara 's first trading partner and Turkey is the EU' s fourth largest export market."

Referring to the very heated debate on the future of Europe and the growing waves of populism ahead of the 2019 European elections, President Daul said that "the best way to overcome the waves of populism is to have concrete results visible to European citizens". "We must act where we can make a difference for Europeans," he said. "Every euro spent must improve the lives of European citizens." "This is what the EPP does every day: from security and defense, with the establishment of the Defense Fund and closer cooperation within EU countries, the protection of the EU's external borders, economic recovery, social Europe with the policies they are preparing. the EU and its citizens on the challenges of a globalized world and a digital society, ”explains President Daul.

But he warns: "A new danger has arisen: the populists have moved from false promises to false news." "We have to be very careful during the European elections. See what happened to Nigel Farage during the Brexit campaign. We must redouble our efforts to explain the benefits of the European Union. "Our institutions are strong enough to withstand the attacks of the populists, but they must not prevent us from protecting them."

On the contrary, said Joseph Daul, answering the question whether the EU institutions are also responsible for the rise of populism in dealing with the financial crisis, he says: "Dealing with the financial crisis has shown great solidarity between the Member States. We must not forget that. "This solidarity has made it possible to protect people's savings, while in Iceland people have lost everything."

"The EU has done what is necessary to ensure a better future for all European citizens. This solidarity was combined with responsibility. "Difficult, sometimes even harsh, decisions have been made, but always with the well-being of European citizens in mind," said EPP President Joseph Daul.

He also stressed that "taking tough measures in times of crisis shows real leadership". "The populists played and continued to play for the fears of the people. The EPP provided answers and results," he said. "The efforts of European citizens have not been in vain as the EU economy grows. A growing economy means jobs, stability and the ability to prepare for rainy days. Unemployment is at an all-time low of 8,7% in the eurozone and 7,3% in the EU since the start of the crisis. Nearly 9 million jobs have been created since Juncker took office. "It's only a matter of time before people in their wallets feel that."

Finally, you are asked to comment on why Greece is still in a rescue program for so many years, while Cyprus has succeeded in replying: “Both countries were severely affected by the financial crisis and the Greeks and Cypriots made many sacrifices. Why is Cyprus on the road to recovery, while Greece is behind? It's simple, let's see who is at the helm of the country. The government of Nikos Anastasiadis carried out difficult but necessary reforms to save the island's economy and guarantee the future of the Cypriot people. The Minister of Finance of Cyprus Ch. Georgiadis is also very active in the meetings of the finance ministers of the EPP and does a fantastic job. "In Greece, the pace of reforms was very slow due to the policies of Prime Minister Tsipras that endangered the efforts of the Greek people."

Source: (KYPE / THA / GXR)