Sarkozy Counselor to EuroFora on Turkish PM Erdogan threat to freeze EU links on Cyprus EU2012 chair

*Paris/Elysée Palace/Angelo Marcopolo/- Turkey's threat to freeze relations with the EU on 2012 during Cyprus' rotating Chairmanship of EU Council is an "unacceptable" "nonsense", and Ankara would be better advised to seek a solution to Cyprus' issue which would "respect UN Security Council Resolutions", practically reacted French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's recent provocative statements in the Occupied Territories of Cyprus, which were denounced by the President of the Country, Demitres Christofias today at Elysée palace, an experienced Sarkozy's counsellor told "EuroFora" after the meeting.

    -  "This is Nonsense !" - "It's incomprehensible", and, at any case, "it is Unacceptable", Sarkozy strongly reacted, according to his Counsellor, to Erdogan's recent controversial declarations.

    + "EU has 27 Member States, and that's all. It's not up to (a 3d Country as) Turkey to tell us (EU) who are our (EU's) Member Countries, or not !" EU Rules have to be applied and respected , Sarkozy reacted critically according to his counsellor.

.    Turkey's persisting failure to meet its obligation to recognize all EU Member Countries, including Cyprus, was a "classic" leit-motiv for frequent Sarkozy critical statements in the Past, even before his brillant 2007 Election.

    But the main thrust of Sarkozy's famous and popular opposal to Turkey's controversial EU bid was afterwards mainly based on his wish for a "Political" Europe, where politicians responsible to the People debate the Future of a Europe with its own Identity, Culture, History and Geo-political Borders, able to attract a solid Popular support. German Chancellor Angie Merkel, who notoriously agrees with Sarkozy on this crucial point, focused more on the question of "EU Values", such as respect for Human Dignity, base of all Human Rights.

    According to the experienced President of Germany's prestigious Adenauer Foundation, former EU Parliament's President, and long-time Chairman of the ChristianDemocrat/EPP Group of MEPs, Hans Gert Poettering, speaking to "EuroFora"s co-Founder, Sarkozy could even Legaly base the popular Refusal to accept Turkey's controversial EU bid, precisely, on Ankara's persistent failure to recognize EU Member Cyprus.

    But, in fact, this is necessary even for Turkey to have any other kind of Closer Relationship to the EU, as another Sarkozy's counselor had earlier told "EuroFora", during a previous Christophia's visit at Elysée Palace, on September 2009, (See previous "EuroFora"s NewsReport from the spot : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/sarkozyxristofias.html )

    + Moreover, "President Sarkozy expressed France's Solidarity to Cyprus' efforts during the on-going (UN-sponsored, inter-communal) Talks", the French President's counsellor added, in reply to an "EuroFora"s question on the UNO process searching a solution of Cyprus' political issue, particularly after the recent, July 7, Geneva Top meeting, between UNO's Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, Cyprus' President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Eroglou, which resulted in a RoadMap including "intesified" Talks with an "enhanced" UN role,  (See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from Geneva, both on January and July 2011, as well as UN SG Ban Ki Moon's own Reply to our Questions at his Press Conference in EU Parliament in Strasbourg, as early as since October 2010).

     - "He (Sarkozy) also stressed that, for us (France) a Solution must pass .. through a Compromise between the two communities of Cyprus, in full respect of UNO Security Council's Resolutions",  Presidential palace "Elysée"'s Counsellor went on to point out in conclusion on this issue.

This is another important and Timely reminder vis a vis Turkey, since, unanimously, all Cyprus' political parties, officially denounced Erdogan's declarations as threatening to exit the Cyprus issue from the Framework of the basic Principles enshrined in a series of relevant UN Security Council Resolutions on Cyprus' ReUnification, through undue pressure to some officials inside UNO's Secretariat.
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- "Both President Sarkozy himself, but also myself, we dealt, for a long time, with the Behavior of Turkey, and, in particular of Turkey's Prime Minister Erdogan, during his illegal visit in the Occupied Territories of Cyprus", also said earlier Cyprus' President Christofias, speaking to Journalists, including "EuroFora", at Elysée palace.  

- "It's our common view, that this Behavior of Turkey is Unacceptable, Provocative, and Insulting even for the EU itself, and will not be tolerated", he stressed.
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Cyprus' President declared himself "Happy", from "the contacts,  exchanges of view and discussions with Nicolas Sarkozy, the President of the French Republic, a Friend of Cyprus"

 - "In this visit, for which I warmly thank the President (Sarkozy), we had a real discussion, we exchanged views for Cyprus' (political) issue and its course, (and) I spoke about the meeting with UNO's Secretary General (Ban Ki Moon) in Geneva, its results (outcome), and I informed him also of the Beginning of Intensified (intecommunal) Talks", Christofias added.

- "I'd like to warmly thank President Sarkozy for his Crystal-clear stance on Cyprus' issue", he concluded. "A position based on Principles, which are very Important for us, because, as you know, France, a stable Friend of Cyprus and UNO Security Council's Permanent Member, is a Country which plays a Crucial (Decisive) Role on EU issues and of the Mediterranean area".

 - I'd like to wholeheartidly thank President Sarkozy and his Team, (f.ex.) the Foreign Minister (Alain Juppé), and other Collaborators, (as f.ex. his Diplomatic Sherpa, David Levitte, etc), who were Present at the meeting, for the full Understanding, his Friendship and the support that he gives to Cyprus and on the (Political and Human Rights') Cyprus' issue", he concluded on this point.
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Turkish Prime Minister, Erdogan, has reportedly threatened, (during his recent visit to the Occupied Territories of Cyprus), that Turkey "will not negotiate" with the EU from July 2012 if EU Member Cyprus takes over the rotating EU Presidency for its July - December term.  - "We shall not (even) speak to them !", he boasted.

He didn't say what might happen, then, about the more than 800 Millions € that EU gives to Turkey each Year, even during the Global Financial Crisis, precisely thanks to those EU - Turkey "Open-ended" Negotiations, on which Erdogan spoke with such a contempt..

Moreover, he reportedly went as far as to warn that Turkey has, definitively, no intention at all to show a better stance vis a vis any EU's desiderata, as things stand. (I.e. as long as EU Summits of 27 Heads of State/Government continue to block 8 Chapters as they have officially decided since 2006, because of Turkey's persisting failure to honour its commitment to stop discriminating against Ships and/or Airplanes which use Cyprus' Seaports or Airports by hindering them to use also Turkey's, in exchange of EU's decision to start lucrative Negotiations with Turkey from 2005. In addition, France and other EU Countries, since 2007, block at least 4 or 5 more chapters in EU - Turkey Negotiations, in order to be sure that they will never lead towards full accession, after growing Majorities of EU Citizens, (both in France, Germany, and several other EU Countries, as well as in EU Parliament's 2009 Elections), repeatedly expessed their crystal-clear opposition to Ankara's controvezrsial and unpopular EU bid.

To make it even more clear, the Turkish PM stressed, reportedly, that Ankara would never open its Airports and Seaports to Cyprus'-related Airplanes and Ships, contrary to the only explicit commitment that it undertook when EU decided to open on 2005 Negotiations with Turkey, (for whom they represent today almost 1 Billion € in Grants , from EU Taxpayer's Money, every Year), unless Cyprus' Government also accepts for the Territories of Cyprus Occupied by Ankara's Foreign Army, (and from where amost all Greek Cypriots, representing some  20% of the Country's Population, were brutaly obliged to flee the Turkish Military, and are still, illegaly hindered to return, often replaced by Settlers from the Turkish mainland, in a systematic "Ethnic Cleansinge", which has been already denounced and condemned, on several occasions by CoE, ECHR, EU and UNO),  despite UN Security Council Resolutions condemning the illegal breakaway Occupation Regime, declaring it as invoid and non-existent, and calling alll  UN Member Countries to avoid doing anything which might facilitate its activities.

On the contrary, Erdogan said nothing, and fully ommitted any reference to the December 2005 EU Summit's landmark decision to give Turkey a Time Deadline until December 2009 in order to start fullfiling its obligation to normalize its relations with all EU Members, including Cyprus.

Astonishingly, instead of imposing any kind of Sanction to Turkey for blatantly failng to meet its obligations, on the contrary, the December 2009 EU Summit in Brussels totaly skipped that "burning" issue, (apparently because of pressure from a pro-Turkish lobby, anxious to avoid any risk whatever to eventually block lucrative (for Ankara) EU - Turkey negotiations), and, since then (12/2009) almost all EU Summits' Agenda has been largely and systematically accaparated, until now, almost exclusively, by the unprecedented Financial problems provoked against the Greek Economy and People, as well as agaists all the EU, by Global Markets' Speculation and Anglosaxon Rating Agencies' often abusive or exagerated coups, over-exploiting a uselessly alarming handling, by US-born Socialist current Prime Minister Giorgos Papandreou, of a big Debt notoriously provoked by Clientelism, Nepotism and Corruption of many other, mainly Socialist previous Governments since the 1980ies and the 1990ies, (resulting in an excessive number of cushy job holders, petty lackeys, and other corrupted staff hired in the Public Sector, who still ask for Salaries, Retirement Pensions, Primes, etc., so that it obviously aggravates the situation), which was scandalously hidden on 1998-2002 Statistics, in order to facilitate an earlier than normal, €uroZone Entry for Greece, in exchange of an EU - Turkey controversial and unpopular "Accession" process, even without doing previously any necessary Economic Reform, so that an outgoing former Socialist Government in Greece stayed 4 more years in power only with less than 1% more in the latest Elections, just by claiming "victory" over a too early and unprepared yet entry in €uroZone, which risks now to undermine Greece's Economy and upsets the entire €uroZone).

Moreover, concerning UN efforts to solve ths poliical issue of Cyprus' reUnification, the Turkish Prime Minister reportedly claimed that, if it's not solved (i.e. agreed)until July 2012, in a way that Turkey likes, then, Ankara threatens to "decide what (it) will do", i.e. implicitely but obviously pointing at the Risk of some kind of even more Negative Turkish reaction, which, apparently, might aggravate even more Cyprus' semi-Occupation and Forced Division, imposed by Ankara's Foreign Military Invasion and Occupation since 1974, which still persists, despite various EU, CoE and UNO calls to withdraw Turkey's troops.

But, at the same time, Mr. Erdogan practically threatened also to ..hinder any agreed Solution of Cyprus' ReUnification issue, by provocativelly declaring that Turkey would never accept any solution which might not be based on the recognition of "2 Equal States", i.e. putting at the same level in an obviously UnDemocratic way the 80% Greek Cypriot Majority and the 18% Turkish Cypriot Minority, according to the latest official Population data before the illegal Turkish Military Invasion and Occupation of 1974-2011, i.e. seeking to oblige Cyprus to become only a shaky and instable, loose Con-Federation, ready to break down at the first externally provoked conflict on whatever pretext, and excluding, on the contrary, one Federal State, as UNO Security Council Resolutions ask, while also practically rejecting any  Real ReUnification of Cyprus, preferring to keep it permanently under any kind of Forced Division.

Last but not least, the Turkish Prime Minister even excluded any Hope for, at least, some Territorial Adjustments, often hoped by those Greek Cypriots who (without acknowledging it explicitely) might, eventually, accept Ankara's persistent stance towards  some degree of  "Partition" in a Divided Cyprus, if, at least, Turkey gave over to the Greek Cypriots some interesting parts of the Territories Occupied by Ankara's Army, including  f.ex. the Western City of Morphou, etc., as it was already proposed by some controversial UN Secretariat Drafts in the Past, asking, in exchange, from the Greek Cypriots to make many other Hard Sacrifices, mainly to the detriment of Refugees/Displaced Persons' Human Rights to return to their Family Homes and Ancestral Land, restore their Private Properties, etc.. But any such Territorial concession will be Excluded from now on, anounced the Turkish Prime Minister, dangerously diminishing any hope for any kind of agreed settlement.

But, at the same time, dissident Turkish Cypriot demonstrators, critical to Mr. Erdogan, were reportedly aggressed and oppressed by the Occupation Regime's Securiy forces during the Ankara's Prime Minister's visit for the anniversary of the 1974 Turkish foreign Military Invasion and Occupation of the northern territories of Cyprus.

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Longer term issues postponed, (Gas findings, EU Chairmanship, etc).
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Meanwhile, on other outstanding, topical issues, contrary to what was expected, Christofias revealed, in reply to another question, that he hadn't yet spoken today with Sarkozy on the huge "Gas" underSea deposits due to be found and start to be exploited in the South-Eastern Mediterannean, between Cyprus and Egypt, Israel/Palestine and Lebanon, etc..

This was later confirmed to "EuroFora" also by a Sarkozy'"s counselor. It might be related, among others, also to the fact that the meeting, (which had been Scheduled since a long time ago, more than a Month earlier), was expected, according to a Christofia's' aide to durate "about 1 hour", but in fact appeared ready to end in about 30 minutes, (as Elysée's aides invited "EuroFora" and other Journalists to be ready for eventual last minute statements earlier than initially expected), even if it was, finally, prolonged up to about 40-45 minutes, at this late Afternoon hour. (It started on 5 p.m., local time, instead of 1 p.m. as in the previous, 2009 visit of Christofias to Paris : Comp. f.ex. the respective "EuroFora"s Photos from these 2 visits, made in differend contexts, on 9/2009 and on 7/2011).

- But, "we are due to meet with President Sarkozy also at several other occasions, both in Paris and, I can now confirm, also in Cyprus, (as he said, obviously evoking an Invitation for a Sarkozy visit to the island), as well as elsewhere", (f.ex. on the sidelines of EU Summits in Brussels, etc), and (during such other meetings) we examine such matters of Common Interest", Cyprus' President added on the question for the Energy Resources' findings..

Sarkozy's counsellor also said to "EuroFora" that the exchange of views didn't touch yet another medium/long term issue with Christofias, that of the most important, general EU issues expected to be dealt with during the forthcoming 2012 EU Presidency by Cyprus, starting in less than a year (from the 1st of July 2012), such as, f.ex. EU's Pluri-Annual Financial Perspectives' framework, whose discussion starts, later this Week, with the present, Polish EU Presidency, (See f.ex. Replies of Poland's Foreign Minister Sikorski to "EuroFora"s Questions in a Press Conference at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, earlier), but is generally expected to conclude, with final Decisions, most probably during Cyprus' EU chairmanship, before the end of 2012.

On the contary, Christofias took, this time, the initiative to brief Sarkozy, among various oher special "bilateral" matters, also "on the efforts that we are making to create a Franco-Cypriot School".

 - However, "President (Sarkozy) was interested to be informed on the Economic situation of Cyprus, and I made him an Analysis on this issue", Christofias revealed.
 - " (But) we didn't enter (now) into deeper details concerning the €uroZone Crisis, because we discuss that very often inside EU Council and inside €uroGroup", he replied.

According to well informed sources from the French Presidential palace Elysée, Christofias roughly said earlier that, despite a rather Good stand for Cyprus' Economy during even the last 2 Years, suddenly, the cascading Economic and other Consequencies of the Giant Explosion at the Naval Base/Power Plant, have started to provoke serious threats which must be faced by efficient measures.
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Marking the mainly Political dimension of this meeting, David Levitte, the experienced Sarkozy's Diplomatic Sherpa and former Ambassador to Washington, and Alain Juppé, Foreign Minister and former Prime Minister, assisted at the encounter, (Juppé being obliged to leave a little bit earlier, because of other meetings as well as urgencies : Comp. infra).

Indeed, by an astonishing "coincidence", the same Day and even Hours that Sarkozy was speaking with Cyprus' President reportedly on Critical reactions to Turkish Prime Minister Erdoga's recent provocative threats, (See supra), suddenly, an Unknown and Hidden Terrorist Group brutally aggressed, wounded and kiled, for the 1st time after many Years, French Soldiers who Monitor Lebanon's Borders with Israel as part of an International, UNO-sponsored, Peace-keeping Force since 2006, (for the establshement of which, the practical  help of Cyprus' previous President, Tassos Papadopoulos, offering Seaports, Naval and Air Bases, Land and Communications Logistics, Transport, etc. made a Strategicaly helpful contribution).

The Iranian-origin Munitions that Cyprus' Authorities had been urged by the International Community to confiscate on 2009 and store in controversial material conditions between the Naval Base "Florakis" and the Power Plant "Vassiliko", until they curiously exploded on 2011, were suspected to be destinated, in fact, through Syria, to some Hezbollah Groups, precisely in Lebanon...

(I.e. there where Turkey's spreading influence after the infamous "Turkish Flotilla" 2009 provoked and exploited incidents, as well as its 2010 isolation inside UN Security Council over Iran, etc., had notoriously manipulated some Arabs to even forget the Hard Sacrifices that all Arab People had to make in the Past in order to Liberate their Countries from the Ottoman-Turkish Military Invasions and Occupations which had destroyed the once famous, Historic "Arab Civilisation").

[For other aspects of Sarkozy's meeting with Cyprus' president see spefific "EuroFora"s NewsReports].