| Turkey has been struggling over whether to agree to a troop withdrawal from the breakaway Northern Cyprus as the price for negotiations to enter the European Union. The EU has demanded that Turkey recognize the Republic of Cyprus as a sovereign state even before the European summit on Dec. 17 in the Hague. Recognition of the Greek Cypriot republic would result in a Turkish admission that its troops have been occupying the territory of an EU state. Turkey has deployed more than 30,000 troops in Northern Cyprus, down from 40,000 in 2002. So far, the Turkish General Staff has ruled out a withdrawal without a solution to the conflict on the island. "It is a requirement under the EU's obligations towards Turkey that the EU clearly preserves our membership perspective at the Dec. 17 summit, without creating any doubts," a Dec. 7 statement by Turkish President Ahmet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Erdogan and Chief of Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok said. |