EU WARNS TURKEY TO LET CYPRUS USE PORTS IF IT WANTS TO JOIN

Belfast Telegraph, United Kingdom
Oct 17 2006

Turkey has been given a stark warning that time is running out for
it to salvage talks on its membership of the EU by opening its ports
to Cypriot planes and ships.

Amid frantic diplomatic efforts, the EU’s enlargement commissioner,
Olli Rehn, warned of a "last window of opportunity on the Cyprus issue
in the coming weeks or months for a very long time, perhaps for years".

Yesterday, EU officials sought to encourage Turkey to engage in the
diplomacy, and tried to calm anger in Ankara at last week’s French
parliamentary vote to criminalise those who deny the Armenian genocide.

Mr Rehn met the Turkish Foreign Minister, Abdullah Gul, in Luxembourg
as the countdown began to a year-end deadline for Turkey to end its
embargo on vessels from Cyprus which joined the EU in 2004.

Mr Rehn has already warned that failure to do so would lead to a
"train crash", with Turkey’s membership talks are put on ice. Ankara
is holding out, saying it will only relent if the economic blockade
is lifted in Turkish northern Cyprus.

On 8 November, the European Commission will publish a report on
Turkey’s progress towards membership and is likely to be critical of
the slow pace of reform.

Diplomats said yesterday’s talks with Mr Gul had "a good atmosphere,
a good discussion but no breakthrough".

Finland, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency, has launched a
last diplomatic push to reduce restrictions on Turkish-run northern
Cyprus if Turkey, in turn, opens its ports to Greek Cypriots.

Mr Gul said he "will constructively support the Finnish presidency’s
proposal", which is thought to propose opening the northern Cyprus
seaport of Famagusta to free trade with the EU. In return, the Turkish
side should give control of the abandoned town of Varosha to the
Greek Cypriots.

But the Turkish side is resisting any concession over Varosha,
arguing it cannot do so outside of UN talks on the future of Cyprus.

It is also calling for direct flights to be started to the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus which is not internationally recognised.

In 2004, Greek Cypriots voted against a UN-backed plan aimed at
reuniting the country on the eve of its entry into the EU. Turkish
Cypriots approved the plan.

Mr Rehn repeated that the Cyprus customs issue could prove to be
the breaking point in Turkey’s membership talks which began in
October 2005.

He said there were "tensions in EU-Turkey relations" but the problems
could not be resolved "by dramatising them". He said: "Instead,
we have to work prudently and with full determination in order to
find solutions. Both communities and all parties should now show
political will."

The talks were also aimed at soothing Turkey after French lawmakers
approved legislation that would criminalise denying that First
World War killings of Armenians was genocide. The legislation still
needs approval from the French Senate and president. Turkey does not
accept the label of genocide, saying the Armenians were killed in a
partisan war.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress