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NICOSIA, March 24 (AFP) - 18h38 - Turkey should
not only extend a European Union customs accord to
include Cyprus before October but also honour that
obligation toward the new EU member state, Spain's
Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said
Thursday.
"In international relations, you sign something to
implement it," said Moratinos during a visit to
Cyprus where he held talks with President Tassos
Papadopoulos, the Greek Cypriot leader, and Foreign
Minister George Iacovou.
"If you sign an agreement in international
diplomatic life, you sign to implement it," he
added.
The Spanish minister was commenting on Nicosia's
concerns that Turkey may grudgingly sign the accord
but shirk it, because it would need ratification
from the Turkish parliament.
Cyprus is the only EU member with which Turkey has
no formal diplomatic ties.
"There is also the principle of good faith. The idea
that you can sign but not ratify an agreement so you
can not implement it is totally outside any
international practice," said Iacovou after talks
with Moratinos.
Turkey has said it will sign the agreement.
Ankara hopes to start talks on joining the EU in
October after winning a green light from EU leaders
last December, but the bloc has said Ankara must
sign the agreement to cover Cyprus first.
The EU expects Turkey to fulfill its commitment to
sign the agreement, an updated version of an
already-existing customs agreement between Turkey
and the EU, taking into account the bloc's 10 new
member states which joined last year -- including
Cyprus.
While Turkey insists that extending the customs
accord to Cyprus does not amount to official
recognition of the Mediterranean island state, the
EU says it amounts to de facto recognition.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey
occupied its northern third following a Greek
Cypriot coup seeking to unite the island with
Greece. A Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
is only recognized by Ankara.
AFP
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