TURKEY LIKELY TO SHUN EU TALKS

GEO World News, GeoTV
Sept 28 2005

ANKARA: Turkey hinted Wednesday that it may shun the start of
EU membership talks next week as political tensions rose over the
country’s place in Europe, leading Britain to warn of a “huge betrayal”
if the door was slammed shut on Ankara.

Raising the risk of a political showdown, the European Parliament
issued a stern warning to Ankara to recognize Cyprus and acknowledge
that the Ottomans committed “genocide” against Armenians during World
War I, two highly sensitive issues that have already strained ties.

The parliament did, however, endorse the start of talks set for
Monday. The EU’s British presidency, meanwhile, battled to resolve
a deadlock over the negotiating framework — the guiding procedures
and principles of the talks — with Austria insisting on a reference
to an eventual “partnership” instead of full membership for Turkey.

“It is natural that we shall make the necessary evaluations following
the clarification of the negotiating framework and take our final
step accordingly,” Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Namik Tan told
reporters.”It is out of the question that we accept any formula or
suggestion other than full membership,” he said.

EU ambassadors were scheduled to meet later Wednesday and throughout
Thursday to try to end the dispute before the talks, which were
given a green light by the EU at a December 17 summit, get under
way in Luxembourg.Noting the atmosphere of uncertainty and possible
last-minute wrangling, a senior Turkish diplomat said that it was not
even clear when Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul would fly to Luxembourg.

“The airplane will be waiting at the airport and when everything is
resolved, we will go,” he told AFP on condition of anonymity. Other
than the Austrian obstacle, he explained, some EU countries are pushing
for tougher terms that go beyond the principles outlined in the EU’s
December 17 decisions concerning Turkey, but declined to elaborate.

Turkish newspapers reported that one draft provision that particularly
irked Ankara was a demand that Turkey abstain from obstructing the
membership of EU countries in other international organizations.

The provision is widely interpreted as an attempt to block a Turkish
veto to an eventual bid by Cyprus to join NATO.

Turkey’s refusal to recognize Cyprus is a major obstacle to
its EU hopes, with the EU demanding that Ankara endorse the
internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot government of the long-divided
island during the accession process.

Throwing Britain’s weight behind Turkey, Foreign Secretary Jack
Straw warned that “it would now be a huge betrayal of the hopes and
expectations of the Turkish people and of Prime Minister (Recep Tayyip)
Erdogan’s program of reform if, at this crucial time, we turned our
back on Turkey.”

“Anchor Turkey in the West and we gain a beacon of democracy and
modernity, a country with a Muslim majority, which will be a shining
example across the whole of its neighboring region,” he told the
Labour Party’s annual conference in Brighton.

Turkey has been trying to join the EU for decades but its place
in Europe has come increasingly into question, particularly since
French and Dutch voters rejected a planned EU constitution, partly
over concerns about the membership of this sizeable and relatively
poor Muslim country.

Underscoring increasingly hostile public opinion in parts of Europe,
the heated debate Wednesday at the European Parliament also saw
deputies harshly criticize Turkey’s record on human rights and
religious freedoms.

Ankara urged EU countries to reflect on a “strategic vision.” “Our
membership carries great importance with respect to the contribution
(it would make) to the future of Europe as well as the Middle East
and the Caucasus and particularly to the building of an alliance
between civilizations,” Tan said.