Statements by Davutoglu from Finland: “Turkey will never beg for the EU membership”
Ankara Anatolia news agency (19.12.12) reported from Helsinki that the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Wednesday that Greek Cypriots were blocking Turkey’s EU membership.

Davutoglu, who is visiting Finland, held a conference titled: “Turkey’s current role in peace building in the context of recent developments, and its reflections in Europe” in the Paasikivi Society, which is one of the prominent Finnish think thanks in the field of foreign policy.

Replying to a question issued by the ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to Helsinki, Filippos Kritiotis, Davutoglu said that Greek Cypriots rejected the Annan plan on which a referendum was held on April 24, 2004, saying that Greek Cypriots became a member of the EU on May 1, 2004. “Despite all commitments by the EU and ‘no’ vote by Greek Cypriots, they joined the EU. They continue to isolate Turkish Cypriots,” he alleged.

“Greek Cypriots prevent Turkey’s EU membership. They think that Turkey would be weaker and beg for membership. We will never beg. If there is integration, it must be fair,” he claimed.

Davutoglu also claimed that if the “Greek Cypriot administration”, as he called the Republic of Cyprus, had approved the Annan plan, there would have been a united Cyprus and there would have been a full economic integration between Turkey and Cyprus and also Greek Cypriot economy would not have faced bankruptcy.