EU-TURKEY TALKS ON CYPRUS FAILED

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.11.2006 16:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Discussions between the European Union and Turkey
on the Cyprus question have failed.

"This morning I first met with Cypriot Foreign Minister Giorgios
Lillikas and then I spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul. Unfortunately we have come to the conclusion that the
preconditions for achieving an agreement do not exist at this stage
during the Finnish EU Presidency", said Finnish Foreign Minister
Erkki Tuomioja, reports CNN-Turk.

The EU has called on Turkey to open its harbors and airports to Greek
Cypriot vessels and planes by December the 6th. In return, the EU has
said that Turkish-occupied North Cyprus could be allowed to trade
directly with the EU. Turkey could face at least some obstacles in
its membership talks with the EU if it rejects the demands. However,
Gul says that he does not believe that there would be any break or
slowdown in the talks. "The Cyprus question is political, and it
should not poison our negotiation process. It is not a part of the
negotiation process", Gul said.