VARIOUS: EU says Turkey's proposal on Cyprus is not enough but is a good sign

A last-minute offer by Turkey to open a major port to traffic from Cyprus in a bid to avert a partial suspension of its European Union membership talks received mixed reaction from Turkey and Greece ON fRIDAY (December 8). "I am very surprised that as the government is always saying that they will not compromise, and now they agree to open ports," said one local from Turkey. "The Turkish prime minister is always showing a tough approach and now they open ports," said another resident of Istanbul. Meanwhile Greek newspapers reacted with scepticism to the latest proposal by Turkey to open the port. "Turkey surprises on Cyprus Issue, and makes good impression on European Union - Athens is studying the proposal carefully," said the daily Kathimerini Newspaper. In an editorial of another Greek daily, Eleutherotypia, which led with the headline "Tricks in the European Union for Turkey", the editorial writer states: "It doesn't need analysis to see that this is a clear trick. It's a move that shows Turkey has the goal of avoiding its clear commitments to completely adopt its obligations to the Customs Union Protocol." Some Greek citizens who have been following ongoing developments were torn between the belief that the issue would be decided by the European Union or supported Turkey opening the ports without preconditions. Others wanted to see the issue resolved, tired of years of conflict between Greece and Turkey. "The ports should open first and then they can join the European Union, that's how it should be," said one adamant citizen who would not give his name. "Cypriots, Turks and Greeks should be brothers even in trade, but I believe these are political games that don't reach us," said another who gave his name as Bobby. In Brussels Cyprus fired a warning shot across the bows of its European Union partners as ambassadors met to consider events. Foreign Minister George Lillikas signalled that Nicosia would block all EU membership talks with Ankara, as it has done since September, if other members of the bloc let Turkey off the hook because of its offer to open one port to ships from Cyprus. Uncertainty deepened over the Turkish proposal, which diplomats said had been made only orally by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to his Finnish counterpart, Erkki Tuomioja, and still did not exist in writing. Finland holds the EU's rotating presidency and Tuomioja said on Thursday he would seek clarification on whether the Turkish offer was unconditional. Talat suggested there was no 'conditionality' and said the proposal was a package designed to end the deadlock between Turkey and the EU over Cyprus "Conditionality is not the right word to use. It is a package and the reason of this package, of this proposal, is to just get rid of the deadlock whcih has been established particularly by making the Greek Cypriot demands preconditions for Turkey's European course," Talat said. Cyprus meanwhile blocked an effort to have foreign ministers call next week for an early resumption of United Nations peace talks on the divided island. Diplomats said Nicosia had successfully argued that the EU did not issue statements about its own member states. Talat said he expected the Greek Cypriot reaction to block talks. "Definately but I was expecting such a reaction because for the Greek Cypriot side unfortunately opening of /// and having freedom of trade for Turkish Cypriots is a fatal problem, what can I do, what can I say? Unfortunately this is the truth," Talat said. Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said on Friday that Turkey's offer was insufficient to fulfil customs obligations with the European Union saying it was not a compromise which could solve the basic problem - that of Turkey not fulfilling the Ankara protocol. But he added that he saw it as a good sign. "It is not such a compromise proposal to the basic problem but I feel it is a good positive signal to the European Union that Turkey's aim is to implement the Ankara protocol and I believe it gives a better atmosphere also to accept the Commission's proposal so I hope it will help the decision making at the Council," Vanhanen said. The Finnish foreign minister expects EU foreign ministers to agree the next step on Turkey's EU accession process when they meet on Monday in Brussels. Turkey's supporters, led by Britain, called those too harsh and seized on Ankara's latest move to urge the EU to wait before acting against the Turks. Cyprus, represented in the EU by the Greek Cypriot government in Nicosia, has already rejected the Turkish offer, saying it comes with conditions unacceptable to their side.

ITN Source | December 8, 2006

Tags:. .argued. .suspension. .definately. .rid. .ongoing