Deutsche Presse-Agentur
December 13, 2004, Monday
16:21:15 Central European Time

E.U. ministers leave key Turkish entry decisions for leaders

Brussels

European Union foreign ministers Monday failed to settle key details
of Turkey’s drive to join the 25-nation bloc, leaving E.U. leaders at
a summit on Dec. 16 and 17 to decide the date for opening the talks –
and set new conditions for Turkish accession.

The 25 foreign ministers continued to differ on a range of important
issues, including the critical question of whether leaders should
make a reference to a so-called “plan B” of offering Turkey a special
partnership instead of membership.

Germany remains adamant that the goal is to ensure Turkish accession
to the bloc, not forge special ties with Ankara, German Foreign
Minister Joschka Fischer told reporters.

“There was no discussion of a privileged partnership with Turkey,”
Fischer said.

Conservative politicians in Germany and France have stepped up
demands that E.U. leaders must offer Ankara a special relationship
rather than full-fledged entry.

But rejecting such a half-measure, Fischer insisted: “Our aim must be
Turkish accession.”

French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier, however, said Paris wanted
the summit statement to include a reference to a fall-back plan.

If negotiations with Turkey failed, E.U. leaders should make clear
that they were ready to preserve “strong links” between Turkey and
the E.U., Barnier said.

Reflecting a more cautious stance on Turkey being adopted by French
President Jacques Chirac, Barnier insisted that an E.U. decision to
open negotiations with Turkey did not guarantee that Ankara would
eventually join the bloc.

“Negotiations will be long, difficult and transparent…there will be
no shortcuts,” he warned.

Negotiations should only open in end-2005, the French Foreign
Minister said, adding that discussions would be subject to constant
monitoring and could be suspended at any time by either side.

France does not want its referendum on the new E.U. constitution set
for next summer to be complicated by public opposition to Turkish
accession. Barnier cautioned that the question of Turkey’s entry was
a source of great anxiety and unease in many parts of France.

The E.U. summit is expected to set additional conditions for Turkey,
including demands that Ankara must recognize the government of
(Greek) Cyprus and accept a permanent cap on labour migration.

Barnier said France would also ask Ankara during the negotiations to
recognise the “tragedy” of the Armenian genocide in the early years
of the last century.

Pointing to the geo-strategic importance of allowing Turkey to join
the E.U., Fischer said this was a guarantee for the modernisation and
“Europeanisation” of the country.

He added that a summit statement on just how and when Turkey must
recognise (Greek) Cyprus was still being worked out by the current
Dutch presidency of the E.U.

In separate comments made in Berlin, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter
Balkenende said Turkey must recognise Cyprus in the run-up to this
week’s E.U. summit.

“Turkey must understand that all member states say relations between
Turkey and Cyprus should change in the future,” said Balkenende,
after talks with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

The Turkish government has declined to give diplomatic recognition to
Cyprus which joined the E.U. earlier this year. Ankara only
recognizes the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Greek Cyprus is now part of the E.U. while Turkish Cyprus is not.
Balkenende said Turkey should approve a protocol extending its E.U.
customs union to Cyprus.

Greek Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos has said such a move
would be a de facto recognition of Cyprus. The island’s government
could in theory, block the start of accession negotiations with
Ankara given that a E.U. decision must be unanimous.

Meanwhile, an opinion poll published in France’s Le Figaro newspaper,
said two of three French respondents and 55 per cent of Germans were
opposed to Ankara becoming an E.U. member.

On the other hand, people in Italy (49 per cent for, 24 per cent
against), Britain (41 per cent for, 30 per cent against) and
especially Spain (65 per cent for) said they were in favour of
Turkish E.U. membership. dpa si ms