EU raises the pressure on Turkey
20.11.2006 – 14:09 CET | By Honor Mahony

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – The Finnish EU presidency has raised the political
stakes in the faltering EU-Turkey talks, giving Ankara just over two weeks
to put them back on track and calling on the European Commission to
concretely say what it will do if no solution is found.

In a speech on Monday (20 November), Finnish prime minister and current head
of the EU Matti Vanhanen said that "time is running out."

"If there is no agreement and Turkey does not honour its commitments, the EU
will need to consider the implications for the accession process," he said.

"As for deciding on an appropriate EU response in those circumstances, we
expect the Commission to come forward with recommendations during the first
week of December."

Foreign ministers would then decide what to do with the issue at meeting on
11 December.

These remarks give a whole new urgency to the talks with many assuming they
would drag on until mid-December forcing EU leaders to tackle the thorny
topic and try and thrash out a deal.

However, Mr Vanhanen ruled out this scenario saying "I want to make one
thing very clear. The Presidency has no intention of raising the Turkey
issue at the December European Council. Decisions will be made before that."

"The real deadline is before the Commission presents its recommendations."

These remarks put the commission in the hot spot after it on 8 November
published a report on Turkey’s slow progress towards EU membership but
refrained from coming out and saying talks should be stopped over Ankara’s
refusal to normalise relations with EU member Cyprus.

The EU has given Turkey until the end of the year to make good on a promise
to extend a customs deal to Cyprus and free up its ports to Cypriot
shipping.

But Ankara has dug its feet in saying it will not apply the agreement until
the EU takes steps to end the economic isolation of Turkish-controlled
northern Cyprus.

Mr Vanhanen’s timetable also put pressure on his country’s own diplomats who
have been working behind the scenes to try and broker a deal which would
allow direct trade with the northern part of Cyprus and open Turkish ports
and airports to Cypriot vessels and planes.

Until now Finnish diplomats have failed in their efforts. But Mr Vanhanen
remarked that as no one has come up with an alternative plan or said that
the proposal is unacceptable, he still believed that a solution was
possible.

Turkey talks tough
The tougher Finnish line follows calls from some member states to make it
clear that things cannot simply continue as they are now if Turkey does not
make some concessions.

Similarly, MEPs are expected to say in a report later this week that the
commission should be clear about the consequences for Ankara of continuing
its present stance towards Cyprus.

But reacting to the new ultimatum, Turkey remained defiant.

"Turkey’s policy is very clear and determined," said Justice Minister Cemil
Cicek, according to AFP.

"It is the EU authorities who have failed to fulfill their promises," he
continued referring to EU promises about ending the economic isolation of
the northern part of Cyprus.