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EU-Turkey ties cooling further
16.2.2007 |
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February 16, 2007
Ties between the EU and Turkey appear to be cooling
further after last December's partial freeze of
Turkish membership talks, with Ankara cancelling a
key meeting with the EU and with a Turkish-Cypriot
row mounting over oil exploration rights.
German and Turkish media report that Turkish foreign
minister Abdullah Gul has been unwilling to visit
Brussels or other EU capitals ever since the bloc
last December suspended eight chapters of Turkey's
35-chapter EU membership negotiations book, as a
sanction for Ankara's continued refusal to allow
trade from EU member state Cyprus.
Mr Gul this week cancelled a March meeting of the
so-called EU-Turkey Association Council, a formal
body where Ankara, the European Commission and EU
governments can take joint decisions, with the
commission confirming to German daily Handelsblatt
that the meeting will now be shifted to a later
date, probably June.
The move by Ankara is seen as political, with
Turkish officials telling Handelsblatt that Ankara
currently has "other priorities" after the EU's
December decision.
This year's Turkish elections - for the presidency
in April and for the parliament in November - are
also seen as playing a role in Ankara's attitude,
with the popularity of the EU in Turkey last year
suffering severe setbacks following the row with
Brussels over Cyprus.
Germany, the current presidency of the EU, has said
it wants to open two chapters that were not
suspended by the EU in December - but Cyprus looks
unwilling to agree to the idea.
Cypriot diplomats immediately after the December
deal said that Nicosia's consent to opening
negotiating chapters would be made dependent on
Turkey's stance on other issues - such as Ankara's
blocking of Cypriot participation in strategic EU-NATO
discussions.
Moving ahead with the talks "requires the consensus
of all the member states, which is difficult to
guarantee,'' Turkey's chief negotiator with the EU
Ali Babacan said on Thursday (15 February) according
to Bloomberg.
He added that "Greek Cypriots are quite creative in
finding new areas of dispute'' and reap "continued
benefits as long as the dispute continues."
"I wouldn't be surprised if there are more new areas
of dispute created by the Greek Cypriot side.''
Cyprus is currently embroiled in a new spat with
Turkey over oil and gas exploration rights in the
Mediterranean, for which Nicosia recently issued a
tender.
Ankara says Turkish Cypriots in the north of the
divided island should have a say in the exploration
rights and this week warned Nicosia to cancel the
tender.
A Turkish government spokesman said that
"continuation of the tender process will adversely
affect peace and stability on the island of Cyprus,"
according to the BBC.
euobserver com
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