NICOSIA, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus will not give its consent for upgrading Turkey's customs union with the European Union (EU) should Turkey fail to implement in full its obligations related to the eastern Mediterranean island, an official with the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Demetris Samuel, in a statement to the Cyprus News Agency, implied that Cyprus will take action when the issue comes before the EU Council, where decisions are taken unanimously.
Samuel was commenting on a report by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament which called for the formal suspension of Turkey's EU accession talks and upgrading of the country's customs union instead.
Turkey has signed an agreement with the EU as part of its accession negotiations, pledging to open its port to Cypriot shipping and its airspace to Cypriot planes.
However, Ankara, having set up its own breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in the part of the island its troops occupied in 1974, refused to implement the agreement as far as Cyprus is concerned.
It is also refusing to implement its agreement with EU to stem the outflow of refugees on its soil to EU countries when it comes to Cyprus.
"Cyprus will not give its consent for upgrading the EU-Turkey Customs Union, if Ankara does not implement full and with no discrimination the existing agreement vis-a-vis the Republic of Cyprus as well," Samuel said.
He noted that beyond suggesting upgrading of Turkey's customs union, the parliamentary committee also urged Turkey to start withdrawing its occupation troops from Cyprus and hand the occupied ghost city of Famagusta to the United Nations for the return of its legitimate inhabitants.
The Foreign Affairs Committee report, though adopted almost unanimously, must pass the hurdle of the European Union plenary before reaching the European Council for a political decision.
Turkey on Thursday criticized the report.
"It is absolutely unacceptable that the non-binding, advisory draft report is calling for a total suspension of our accession talks to the EU," Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said in a statement.
