Bagis says Turkey has prepared alternative plans in case no solution is found to the Cyprus problem until the Republic of Cyprus’ EU presidencyUnder the title “Our goal is the solution before July”, Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi (25.11.11) reports on statements by Egemen Bagis, Turkey’s EU Minister, who told Ankara Anatolia news agency, that their real goal in Cyprus is the establishment of a common state in which the two sides are represented with political equality. He said that this common state should undertake the EU term Presidency, in July 2012.

Bagis went on saying that the contribution of the common state will be very important to Turkish-EU ties and pointed out that if this does not happen neither the occupation regime nor Turkey should pay the bill.

Asked what will happen with Turkey’s EU negotiation process during the Republic of Cyprus’s EU term presidency, Bagis said that practically they will not face any problem since there are two meetings where the candidate countries are interlocutor with the term presidency, adding that one of these meetings is related to the opening and closing of chapters and the other is the Partnership Council.

Reminding of the fact that Turkey has not opened or closed any chapter for 1 year and that during France’s EU Term Presidency the meeting of the Partnership Council was postponed, Bagis said the following: “If you look at the 52-year EU history of Turkey, the six-month period of the Greek Cypriot’s term presidency is a very short time. We consider that it is not necessary to think very much on this. This will come and pass. However, it is the Greek Cypriot Administration and the EU countries that will lose from this”.

Bagis, who did not want to speak a lot of the possibilities related to what will happen in case no solution to the Cyprus problem is found, said: “Turkey has prepared a plan A, a plan B, a plan C and a plan D. Do not worry at all about this”.

Referring to the possibility of a solution being found, he added: “If a comprehensive solution is found, for us the Greek Cypriot EU term presidency will be an event that will be celebrated”.