Turkey has failed to use the Syrian refugee crisis to blackmail the EU to open five more chapters of its membership negotiations and allow visa-free travel for Turkish citizens.

EU-member Cyprus continues to veto certain chapters to do with justice, security and human rights, namely chapters 23 and 24.

These chapters are frozen for very specific reasons and can only be opened if Turkey fulfills its obligations,” said government spokesman Nikos Christodoulides in comments to the state broadcaster.

The government is pleased with the support of its European partners after the EU-Turkey summit held on March 7th, adds the spokesman.

Merkel, Anastasiades greeting in Brussels 7/3/2016

President Nicos Anastasiades has excellent relations with all the EU leaders, including Chancellor Merkel, and the country’s financial situation is now much stronger, making it less vulnerable to pressure over Turkey’s EU membership.

Chapter 17, which deals with economic and monetary affairs, has already been opened with Cyprus’ agreement. The government wants Turkey to join the EU, but only if it respects community values and recognises the Republic of Cyprus.

The Ankara Protocol – in which all candidates have to recognise all the other member states – has blocked Turkey from continuing EU accession talks, because it refuses to recognise the Republic of Cyprus as the official government. Instead, Turkey recognises the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). No other country in the world recognises the TRNC.

The European Parliament has been heavily critical of Turkey’s position on Cyprus and froze several chapters in its negotiations to become an EU member state. But Germany is in a tight spot, with thousands of Syrian refugees flooding into the EU via Turkey, in October 2015, Chancellor Merkel exchanged promises with Turkish PM Erdogan that she may not be able to keep.

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