Turkey's EU minister says Turkey will not sit at table with Greek Cypriot presidency of EU

ANKARA (A.A) - Turkey's European Union (EU) minister and chief negotiator said on Friday that Turkey would not sit at the same table with the Greek Cypriot presidency of the European Union (EU) if the union unilaterally handed over its rotating presidency to the administration without a settlement in Cyprus. Egemen Bagis said Turkey would continue relations with the European Commission and the European Parliament in case the EU unilaterally gave its rotating presidency to the Greek Cypriot administration without a settlement in Cyprus. "However, we will not sit at the same table with the Greek Cypriot presidency of the EU," Bagis told a televised interview.  The Greek Cypriot administration is expected to take over the rotating presidency of the union in July 2012. Bagis said Turkey expected a reunified Cyprus state would undertake the rotating presidency, not the Greek Cypriot administration itself when that day came.  Turkey favored a settlement in Cyprus, he also said.  Bagis said Turkey would not lose anything if it did not open negotiations with the EU for six months if the Greek Cypriot administration became the president of the union. Turkey became an EU candidate country in December 1999. The union launched accession talks with Turkey on October 3, 2005. The EU has so far opened 13 of the 35 chapter headings to negotiations with Turkey.