BREAKING NEWS

Turkey says EU ties will freeze if no solution to Cyprus

ANKARA - Turkey's foreign minister said on Wednesday relations between Turkey and the European Union "will freeze" if Cyprus takes on the EU presidency in July 2012 without a solution to the divided island.
"If the Greek Cypriot side stalls negotiations and takes over the presidency of the European Union in July 2012, this means not only a deadlock on the island, but also a blockage, a freezing point in Turkey-European Union relations," Ahmet Davutoglu told a news conference.
Cyprus was divided by a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup. Its Greek Cypriots represent the island internationally and in the European Union, while Turkey is the only country to recognize the Turkish Cypriot state.