Turkish EU minister says Turkey will never give up TRNC

ANKARA (A.A) - December 5, 2011 - Turkish EU minister said on Monday that Turkey would never give up its national cause, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), for the sake of Turkey's EU membership. Turkey had a clear stance regarding the Cyprus issue and it was impossible for Turkey to recognize the Greek Cypriot administration as a state, said EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis replying to a parliamentary question. Bagis said that Turkey had been exerting efforts for a solution to the Cyprus issue at the international platform since 2002. Turkish Cypriots kept assuming a pacific manner regarding the matter despite all injustice, he said. "It is impossible for Turkey to sit at the table with an administration which is not recognized by Turkey," he said. Turkey would not regard the Greek Cypriot administration as an interlocutor during its EU term presidency but Turkey's relations with the EU would continue, he said.