Cyprus: EU opposes peace deal giving Turks key freedoms

NICOSIA: Cyprus’ president says fellow European Union member states have rejected Turkey’s demand that its citizens be granted the freedom to relocate and transfer money, services and goods to the ethnically divided island under any reunification deal.

Nicos Anastasides said Saturday all EU leaders consider it a “bad precedent” for Cyprus or any other country to breach bloc rules and grant such key freedoms to third-country



citizens.

Turkey said in January any Cyprus peace deal should incorporate such a condition. That further complicated difficult negotiations that stalled last month amid Turkish Cypriot anger over legislation to commemorate in Greek Cypriot schools a 1950 referendum calling for Cyprus’ union with Greece.

A 1974 Turkish invasion following a coup by supporters of union with Greece split Cyprus along ethnic lines.