Dispute between Turkey, Cyprus damages prospect of EU mission in Kosovo
EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said that the dispute between Turkey and Cyprus could jeopardize the future European security forces in Kosovo because it disabled cooperation between the EU and NATO missions in Pristina.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Friday, November 30, 2007
The EU is gearing up to take over control of the police forces in Kosovo from the U.N., but also calls for more cooperation between its 1,600-strong mission and the 16,000 NATO peace-keepers currently stationed in the southern Serbian province.
Turkey, however, as a member of NATO, has blocked those plans in protest of Cyprus' vetoing on establishing stronger defense ties between Ankara and Brussels.
Describing this as a European problem damaging the unity of the EU, its citizens and potentially European soldiers and police officers on the ground, Olli Rehn called for a prompt resolution of the matter.
