Atalay told the news agency that giving the small Mediterranean island the presidency could mean there would be a “moment of crisis” between the EU and Turkey.
“We will freeze our relations with the EU. … And as a government, we have made this decision. Our relations with the EU will be stopped,” he said.
However, he did not elaborate on what that would mean if Turkey were to put it into practice.
The EU and Turkey have been in talks for years over Turkey’s admission into the 27-member bloc, and this latest incident could represent a new low point in relationship already fraught with tension as Turkey looks to play a larger role in the region.
In 1974, Turkish troops invaded Cyprus in response to a coup that was backed by Greece, which was run by an autocratic military government. Turkey has never recognized it as a sovereign state.
