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BRUSSELS - Cyprus has blocked the opening of
Turkey's first negotiating chapter with the EU, with
intense weekend diplomacy expected before a foreign
ministers meeting on Monday.
The opening of the "science and research"
legislative chapter is scheduled for Monday (12
June) at a meeting of EU foreign ministers with
their Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul in
Luxembourg.
The move would mean the first concrete work on one
of the 35 negotiating chapters that EU candidate
state Turkey has to go through before acceding to
the bloc.
As there is no real EU legislation on science and
research, the EU intended to close the chapter on
the same day - Monday.
But Cyprus at a meeting of member states'
ambassadors on Friday (9 June) fiercely resisted the
closing of the chapter, demanding political
concessions from Ankara first.
Diplomats said Nicosia wants to see progress on
Turkey ending its continued non-recognition of
Cyprus and its blockade of Cypriot shipping and air
traffic.
Weekend diplomacy
"The Austrian EU presidency regrets that we did not
reach a unanimous agreement in Coreper [member
states permanent representatives committee]," said
an Austrian spokesman.
"We stand ready for further negotiations in order to
solve this issue, also over the weekend," said the
spokesman. "The topic will now be handed over to
foreign ministers on Monday."
A compromise text on the chapter prepared by Vienna
contained a reference to the EU's 21 September
statement, which requires Turkey to recognise EU
member state Cyprus, as well as open its ports and
airports to Cypriot vessels and planes
Nicosia has now made clear that if Ankara makes no
progress in meeting these demands, it could veto the
opening or closing of any chapter in Turkey's EU
entry talks.
The starting and finishing of each of the 35
legislative chapters requires the unanimous consent
of EU member states.
Croatia gets green light
Diplomats said, however, that Cyprus may, after
intense weekend diplomacy, back down on Monday, amid
Turkish media reports that Mr Gul could snub the EU
by boycotting Monday's meeting.
Meanwhile, the row is unlikely to affect the
membership bid of Croatia, which received the green
light from EU ambassadors to open and close the
science and research chapter on Monday.
Zagreb could enter the EU around 2009-2010, while
2015 is seen as a more likely possible accession
date for Ankara.
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