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Swedish Media
"Turkey must admit to genocide and cease the occupation of Cyprus"
Article by the Swedish MP Lennart Sacrédeus on the Turkish road to the EU and the obstacles in its way, the main one being the Turkish occupation of Cyprus
"The fact is that since 1974, 36 % of the territory of the current EU member state Cyprus has been under occupation by the Turkish military. Never before has a country occupying an EU member been allowed to enter into membership negotiations."
Dagen
Published 2009-03-27
Read the rest of the article in Swedish here...
"Nicosia opened"
Article
by the Swedish journalist Bitte Hammargren
on the opening of Ledra Street in Nicosia
"In
the last divided city in Europe the wall
in the middle of Nicosia opened today. it
was an emotional moment when Greek and Turkish
Cypriots met each other on the Thursday
morning, on the street that has been closed
since 1963 - a symbol of the Cyprus conflict."
Svenska
Dagbladet
Published 2008.04.03
Read
the rest of the article in Swedish here...
"Spring
comes to Nicosia"
Article
by the Swedish foreign correspondent Ingrid
Hedström on the opening of Ledra Street
in Nicosia
"Oh,
how I wish that I had been there when the
wall finally fell on Ledra Street in Nicosia
and the hope of one of the oldest conflicts
in Europe will get a solution swept through
the island of Afrodite like a spring wind."
Dagens
Nyheter
Published 2008.04.05
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the rest of the article in Swedish here...
"Merkel:
Model Swedish research"
Article
by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel on
the goals of the EU inder the German presidency.
In the article, Angela Merkel states among
other things:
"Concerning
the foreign policy aspects, we all have
an interest in continuing the reforms in
Turkey and tying the country closer to the
EU. Turkey has of course neglected to fulfil
one important obligation, i.e. the obligation
to apply the Ankara Protocol to all member
countries. This is not some trifling matter,
but one of the EU:s four basic freedoms,
that is the free movement of goods, and
it concerns something as self-evident as
the mutual political and diplomatic recognition
between EU candidates and EU members.
I
welome the proposal to freeze parts of the
membership negotiations until Turkey applies
the Ankara Protocol. The EU must also insist
on this happening as soon as possible.
The
Progress Report (which will be presented
annually until 2009) ensures that the Council
will continuously acquaint itself with the
issue and that the pressure on Turkey to
keep its commitments is not eased.
We also
support the resumption of the negotiations
on direct trade. I have already stated my
support of the new Secretary General of
the UN concerning the UN process for the
reunification of Cyprus.
Göteborgsposten
Published 2007-01-22
Read
the rest of the article in Swedish here...
"Accept
or leave"
When
Turkey last October opened membership negotiations
with the EU, everyone knew it would be a
long, difficult and emotional road,
fraught with conflict. And yet it seems
as if the difficulties were underestimated,
Per Tedin writes in the Sydsvenska Dabladet
October 18th, 2006. Before the end of the
year, Turkey must revoke the law that criminalises
authors insulting the honour of the
Turkish nation. They must also normalise
trading relations with Cyprus
Read
the rest of the article here...
Sydsvenska
Dagbladet 2006-10-18
"Cyprus one step nearer
unification"
The
Greekcypriot president Tassos Papadopoulos
and the turkcypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat
agreed on Saturday on resuming negotiations
about a unified Cyprus, writes TT.
-This
is an historical moment, said Ibrahim gambari
according to the newsagency Reuuters and
added that the resumptionprocess starts
at the end of July. Both leaders expressed
their support for a unified Cyprus based
on a two-part federation
Aftonbladet
- TT 2006-07-08
"Put an end to
the occupation of Cyprus"
Cyprus is the only occupied country within the European Union. Turkey must
end its long-standing settling- and occupation policy in order to become a full
member of the European Union. These words come from Göran Johansson who is
warning of the activities of Swedish travel agencies on the island.
The sound and the smell of the salty waves of the Mediterranean lapping
against the iron-bound beaches and the impressive massif with the crest of St
Hilarion in the background make me feel lyrically elated. This place is a
paradise to stay in, and to be able to grow up and live here should be a
fabulous dreamlife for most of us, I observe meditatively.
Göran Johansson, Social
Democrat, member of the international commitee of the party district of
Gävleborg and former UN Peace Keeper in Cyprus (UNFICYP 1967-68), Sundsvalls
Tidning, 11 November 2005
Read the whole article in Swedish...
"Don't
buy fancy villa in Turkish Cyprus"
The Greek Cypriots rejected with great majority the UN Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan's plan for the reunification of Cyprus. The major reasons for this were the Turkish settler policy and the future permanent presence of Turkish troops on the island, accepted by the plan, but also the fact that this comprehensive settlement was a construction formed by the US and Great Britain and not negotiated by the Cypriots themselves. Most important now is that the EU, for the sake of its member state Cyprus and for the sake of the Union's democratic credibility, act forcefully against Turkey's illegal settler policy in northern Cyprus and for the Turkish occupation troops to withdraw. After that, Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot security troops, in cooperation with EU troops and under the supervision of UN observers, could answer for the security in a reunified Cyprus.
Göran Johansson, Social Democrat, international member of the party district of Gävleborg
and former UN Peace Keeper in Cyprus (UNFICYP
1967-68), Svenska
Dagbladet, 27 March 2005
Read the whole article in Swedish...
"EU invites Turkey without enthusiasm"
Turkey's invitation to start negotiations with the EU is shadowed with doubts. Five years ago when the decision on Turkey was taken in Helsinki, the country was supposed to be judged solely on the Copenhagen Criteria. Nevertheless, in the past year voices have been heard that are not so convinced that Turkey belong in the Union. Turkey should perhaps be given a "priviliged partnership" status instead of a full membership. The arguments against Turkey are much the same as they were in view of the recent enlargement in May 2004.
Ulf Hagman, on the editorial staff of the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, concentrating on EU issues, Swedish Institute of International Affairs, 16 December 2004
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"Genocide and occupation no EU impediment to Turkey?"
Denial of genocide and occupation of an EU member state is obviously no impediment if a country wants to join the European Union? Turkey continues to deny the genocide on the Christian minorities 1915-1918 and occupies 37 percent of the territory of EU member Cyprus. Do we really want a Union that contradicts itself? A peace club that welcomes a country that sets basic EU principles aside?
Lennart Sacrédeus, (Christian Democrat) former Member of the European Parliament and of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Human Rights, Nya Dagen, 15 December 2004
Read the whole article in Swedish...
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