Turkey must recognize Cyprus to join EU -Greece

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 17 (Reuters) Turkey has to recognize Cyprus, even before the island is unified, as well as meet democratic criteria if it wants to become a member of the European Union, Greece's foreign minister said.

''There is no Europe a la carte,'' Dora Bakoyannis said in an interview late yesterday. ''The criteria that have been put up by the EU for every member also apply to Turkey.'' This, she said, means meeting conditions for applicants in the EU, such as human rights and freedom of expression -- and recognition of all 25 EU members including Cyprus.

Cyprus has been divided since Turkish troops invaded the north in 1974 to foil an Athens-backed Greek Cypriot coup seeking to unite the island with Greece. U.N.-backed efforts to unify the island nearly succeeded in 2004 but Greek Cypriots overwhelmingly rejected the plan while Turkish Cypriots in the north voted to accept it.

Turkey, which has applied to join the European Union, does not recognize Cyprus, an EU member, represented by the Greek Cypriot government in Nicosia or allow it to use its harbors and airports.

In turn, the Nicosia government opposes an EU proposal allowing direct trade with northern Cyprus.

Bakoyannis, who is in New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly, said the big decisions now were up to Turkey or it would strengthen the hand of those who oppose membership of a Muslim nation.

''Greece has supported Turkey for the European Union,'' Bakoyannis said. ''This came as a surprise to a lot of people around the world. but it is very simple. For us it is important to have European democratic Turkey on our borders.'' ''Turkey herself must accept the metabolism which is necessary inside Turkey to become a European member, which means that she accepts the European value system,'' the minister said. ''The criteria that have been put up by the EU for every member also applies to Turkey.'' Bakoyannis, a former Athens mayor who has been in her current job for less than a year, was one of the few Greek politicians to back the UN plan for reuniting Cyprus.

She said she was fairly certain new U.N.-led talks would be successful this time. The United Nations is still testing the waters before engaging in full-scale negotiations after the defeat of the 2004 referendum.

''You have to try again with a solution that addresses people's fears and people's insecurities. I always believe that the will of the people to live together is there,'' Bakoyannis said.

U N Secretary-General Kofi Annan, at a news conference on Wednesday, expressed hope the talks would go forward but said he was waiting for his representative in Cyprus, Michael Moller, to advise him ''when the situation is ripe to start all over again.'' REUTERS PDS BST0117