BRATISLAVA, Slovakia, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos said Monday he would not oppose Turkish European Union accession talks provided Turkey met European standards.
Speaking after meeting his Slovak counterpart, Ivan Gasparovic, in Bratislava, Tassos Papadopoulos said his country believes talks could proceed but there should be no slackening of the usual entry requirements.
"We're not against the start of admission talks between Turkey and the European Union ... But Turkey must meet all the same criteria as any other country and must comply with all its obligations toward the union as well as Cyprus," the TASR news agency quoted him as saying Monday.
Slovakia, which along with Cyprus and eight other countries joined the European Union May 1, is also supportive of the Turkish bid provided all of the usual standards are met, Gasparovic said.
Cyprus has been split into Turkish and Greek zones since the Turkish invasion of the island in 1974.
