September 28, 2005
European Parliament Postpones Turkey Vote
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 9:27 a.m. ET

STRASBOURG, France (AP) — The European Parliament postponed a vote to
ratify Turkey’s customs union with the European Union on Wednesday,
citing frustration over Ankara’s continued refusal to recognize
Cyprus.

In another step certain to anger the Turkish government days ahead of
scheduled EU membership talks, lawmakers called on Ankara to recognize
the 1915-23 killings of Armenians as genocide.

The lawmakers issued a nonbinding resolution saying recognition of the
killings as genocide should be a prerequisite for Turkey to join the
EU. Ankara vehemently denies that genocide was carried out on
Armenians as the Ottoman Empire collapsed, saying Armenians who rose
in rebellion and sided with Russian invaders were killed along with
Turks in intercommunal fighting.

The EU Parliament voted 311-285, with 65 abstentions, to postpone the
customs union ratification ballot.

The delay will have no effect on the starting date on negotiations for
Turkey’s accession to the EU, scheduled for Oct. 3. The assembly
already postponed a vote earlier this month when its foreign affairs
committee said the customs union would not work because Turkey still
would not allow Cyprus to use its ports or airports.

In July, Turkey signed an agreement to widen its customs union with
the EU to include Cyprus and nine other new EU members. But the
government also said its signature did not amount to recognition of
the Cypriot government.

EU governments last week warned that failure to recognize Cyprus could
paralyze Turkey’s EU entry talks.

The customs union agreement with all 25 EU member states is a key
condition for Turkey’s bid to join the bloc.

”The Turkish government has accepted the customs union protocol but
at the same time has refused to recognize Cyprus. It’s logically and
politically unacceptable,” European People’s Party chairman Hans-Gert
Poettering said before asking the assembly to postpone the vote.

Cyprus has been divided since a 1974 abortive coup by supporters of
union with Greece prompted an invasion by Turkish troops. Turkey still
occupies the north of the island in support of a breakaway
Turkish-Cypriot government. Ankara does not recognize the
Greek-Cypriot government in the south.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press