eurasia-101 | Page 61

former to overcome the Greek obstacle . However , the EU was not the only factor of rapprochement between Turkey and Greece . Several other developments such as “ earthquake diplomacy ”, more moderate and reformist governments of both Greece and Turkey and the direct talks and negotiations between the two countries contributed to overcoming the Greek impediment occasionally .
The contradictions over the economic isolation of the “ TRNC ” and the failure of the EU to implement its promises of ending the isolation of the north , the problem of transport and communication , the restrictions by Turkey on the usage of ports , and Greek Cypriot rights concerning their property in the “ TRNC ” shape the present relations between Turkey and the EU . The analysis demonstrated that all the above-mentioned points were included in the progress reports on Turkey and resulted in the stagnation of Turkey ’ s EU accession process , because based on these restrictions several chapters of the negotiation framework were blocked or suspended . Moreover , if Turkey does not lift the restrictions , it will not be able to implement the EU acquis , and the resumption of the accession process will be impossible .
Finally , the recent developments in the Eastern Mediterranean also display that the Cyprus conflict with its component problems ( e . g . rights to natural resources ) still play a tangible role in shaping Turkey-EU relations . Most probably this trend will continue in near future considering the ongoing explorations and drilling in the disputed waters of Greece , Turkey , and Cyprus . The role of the EU is crucial in easing the tension in the Eastern Mediterranean by using the mechanism of conditionality and compromise which effectively balanced the situation in the 1990s and early 2000s .
Generally , the discussion of these sub-questions leads to a comprehensive understanding that the Cyprus conflict , as a precondition presented by the EU due to Greece ’ s efforts , has negatively impacted Turkey ’ s EU accession starting from the 1980s . Even though Turkey was able to adapt to the EU conditionality to some extent and take certain “ positive ” steps towards solving the Cyprus conflict , the latter remains one of the fundamental problems that obstruct Turkey ’ s EU accession process .
61