"a very important opportunity" to pushing efforts toward the resolution of the Cyprus problemItaly backs Turkey''s EU membership but has to meet accession criteria
10/22/2009
ROME, Oct 22 (KUNA) -- Italian foreign minister Franco Fattini said Thursday Rome supported Turkey's membership in the European Union (EU) but it has to honor all accession criteria.
A statement by the foreign ministry quoted Frattini as saying during a meeting with his Cypriot counterpart Markos Kyprianou that Italy believed that EU's doors should be open for Turkey but Ankara should honor all accession criteria.
Frattini and Kyprianou held talks over the situation of Cyprus and prospects of Turkey's membership into the EU, said the statement, citing that Turkey has around 40,000 forces in the northern part of the Meditarranean island.
Frattini, added the statement, said the visit of Italian President to Turkey, due in mid-November, would be "a very important opportunity" to pushing efforts toward the resolution of the Cyprus problem.
The statement quoted Kyprianou as saying that "Cyprus wants a European Turkey and not a Turkey in Europe."
ROME, Oct 22 (KUNA) -- Italian foreign minister Franco Fattini said Thursday Rome supported Turkey's membership in the European Union (EU) but it has to honor all accession criteria.
A statement by the foreign ministry quoted Frattini as saying during a meeting with his Cypriot counterpart Markos Kyprianou that Italy believed that EU's doors should be open for Turkey but Ankara should honor all accession criteria.
Frattini and Kyprianou held talks over the situation of Cyprus and prospects of Turkey's membership into the EU, said the statement, citing that Turkey has around 40,000 forces in the northern part of the Meditarranean island.
Frattini, added the statement, said the visit of Italian President to Turkey, due in mid-November, would be "a very important opportunity" to pushing efforts toward the resolution of the Cyprus problem.
The statement quoted Kyprianou as saying that "Cyprus wants a European Turkey and not a Turkey in Europe."
