EUROPEAN COMMISSION DEMANDS THAT TURKEY OPENS ITS AIRPORTS AND PORTS TO CYPRUS BY DECEMBER
By Hakob Chakrian
AZG Armenian Daily
09/11/2006
The European Commission confirmed yesterday its report and strategy
document on Turkey. Contrary to Ankara’s fears no proposal of freezing
talks with Turkey because of the Cyprus issue cannot be found in them.
Instead, the European Commission demanded that Turkey opens its
airports and ports to Cypriot planes and ships otherwise it will adopt
additional document with suggestions of partial or total freezing of
the talks.
Hurriyet newspaper writes that president of the European Commission
Jose Manuel Barroso assured that despite discords over the Cyprus
issue, the EU will not freeze talks with Turkey. The paper also
informs that France suggested holding referendums in EU member states
on Turkey’s accession but "this immoral suggestion was turned down."
The above documents demand that Turkey revises its article 301 of
its Penal Code, enlarges the rights of Armenian, Greek and Jewish
communities, improves the socio-economic condition of Kurdish
population in the south-eastern regions of the country and regulates
the relations between army and civil authorities in accordance with
the European standards.