Morning Star
September 29, 2005

MEPs delay Turkey customs talks;

The European Parliament, which is frustrated over Turkey’s refusal to
recognise Cyprus, postponed a vote yesterday to ratify Ankara’s
customs union with the EU.

MEPs also called on Ankara to recognise the 1915-1923 killings of
Armenians as a genocide, which Turkey fiercely denies.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan immediately dismissed the
non-binding European Parliament resolution on the killings of
Armenians, saying: “It does not matter whether they took such a
decision or not. We will continue on our way.”

The EU assembly voted 311- 285 to postpone the customs union
ratification vote at the request of conservative MEPs. There were 63
abstentions.

The ballot’s delay will have no effect on the starting date for
Turkey’s accession negotiations, which are set for October 3.

The assembly had already postponed its vote earlier this month, when
the parliament’s foreign affairs committee argued that the customs
union would not work unless Turkey agreed to allow Cyprus to use its
ports or airports.

In July, Turkey signed a deal to widen the customs union with the EU
to include Cyprus and nine other new EU members.

But Ankara said that this did not amount to recognition of Cyprus.

EU governments issued a counter-declaration last week, warning that
failure to recognise Cyprus could paralyse Turkey’s EU entry talks.

European People’s Party chairman Hans-Gert Poettering branded
Turkey’s position “logically and politically unacceptable.”

During the assembly’s debate, Party of European Socialists chairman
Martin Schulz accused the conservatives of not wanting Turkey in the
EU.

Some EU countries advocate the idea of a privileged partnership for
Turkey rather than full membership.

But Ankara insisted yesterday that any deviation from full membership
would be unacceptable.