Cyprus 'must not damage Turkey's EU membership'

A top Turkish official said today that Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union should not be broken off over the divided island of Cyprus, hours after a European effort to reach a compromise failed, putting Ankara’s bid to join the bloc in jeopardy.

“There is no reason to break up the negotiations,” Justice Minister Cemil Cicek, the government spokesman, said after a Cabinet meeting. “Turkish-EU relations are very deep. Cyprus is not a precondition for membership. Turkey-EU relations are in the interest of both parties,” he said. “It is not right to torpedo relations between Turkey and EU, which are deep and of mutual interest.”