Cyprus can still block Turkey's path to European Union membership if it does not sign a EU customs agreement that includes Cyprus, the Cypriot president indicated yesterday in a televised address.
President Tassos Papadopoulos said Cyprus could still veto Turkey's entry into the EU if Turkey refuses to sign a customs union agreement by October 3 that covers Cyprus and 10 new EU member states.
Papadopoulos gave the warning during a televised explanation of his decision to refrain from vetoing the opening of entry talks with Turkey during Friday's EU summit in Brussels. Cyprus, a country of only 700,000 people, has been cautious to defy Turkey's bid, which is strongly supported among its 70 million people.
If the customs agreement is not signed, "then the Republic of Cyprus has the right not to consent to the start of the entry talks," Papadopoulos said.
