EU nations in prolonged talks on Turkish initiative
By Dennis Wanks,WNS Belgium Correspondent
BRUSSELS - Turkey's offer to ease its trade dispute with Cyprus is insufficient to stop the European Union discussing a freeze on Ankara's membership talks, Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen has said. "What Turkey has said is not enough and of course the Union will make the decision how to continue the negotiation process with Turkey," Vanhanen, whose country holds the EU presidency, told Brussels-based reporters via video link Fridy. Progress in Turkey's EU talks has been threatened by its refusal to open its harbours and airports to Greek Cypriot craft. On Thursday it offered to open one port and possibly an airport, but there was confusion over whether there were strings attached.
Vanhanen delivered his verdict after ambassadors of the 25 EU member states ended talks here Friday without agreement on Turkey's offer, national officials said. "Several members wanted the offer written down," said an EU source. The Turkish proposal involved opening a Mediterranean port to vessels from EU member Cyprus, and possibly an airport, for a trial period of one year. A senior Turkish official said Ankara would expect a solution to the 32-year division of the island of Cyprus during that 12-month period. Confusion reigned over whether such comments amounted to pre-conditions for the Turkish offer. Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, in Brussels for separate meetings, said there was no "conditionality" attached to the Turkish proposal.
However he failed to clear up the confusion. "It is a package in order to promote cooperation and to promote common understanding and by that way resolving the resolution of the Cyprus problem," he told reporters as the talks were underway. "The real question is to know to what extent it's completely or partially conditional," said one European source. "The Turks have made this proposition, as usual, behind a great smokescreen. Now we have to clear the fog." The fog will have to be cleared quickly as the 25 EU foreign ministers will meet here on Monday with Turkey high on the agenda. Turkey's EU candidacy has divided members states and their representatives had struggled to reach a common position even before the latest move by Ankara.
posted by wnsworld @ 5:56 PM
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