Babacan: clash with Turkey will hit EU ties with Muslim world

Turkey’s chief negotiator with the EU, Ali Babacan, has warned that a bust-up over his country’s application to join the Union will have knock-on effects for relations with other countries in the Mediterranean and Middle East.

He said that Turkey was not prepared to take unilateral action to end a dispute over giving Cyprus access to Turkish ports and airports.

The EU has demanded that Turkey open its ports before the end of the year or face a "train crash" that could include the suspension of EU membership talks.

In an interview with European Voice, Babacan said: "In any kind of train crash it is not only one of the trains getting hurt. It could cause huge damage to the European project itself.

"Can you imagine what the perception of the situation will be in the Middle East, in north Africa, in central Asia, in the Caucasus? In all these regions the immediate understanding will be that, well, Cyprus is just an excuse."

Turkey is urging the other 24 EU member states to exert "peer pressure" on Cyprus to agree a deal.

"Turkey is not going to do anything unilaterally, full stop. Other than that we are open to negotiation on anything."

Turkey says it wants EU members to first lift their trade embargo against Northern Cyprus, a move which has been blocked by Cyprus.

Diplomats are currently working on a deal that would delay the EU deadline of the end of the year, or find ways for Cyprus to accept direct trade with the north.

One proposal under consideration would see Turkey cede control of Varosha, an uninhabited Cypriot town which is under Turkish military control.

Asked about that proposal, Babacan appeared flexible. "We are not ruling out any study on any of the possible solutions," he said.

Cypriot diplomats responded positively to Babacan’s comments, saying that they would accept direct trade with Northern Cyprus if Varosha was returned. "It could be the basis of a deal," said one diplomat.

But Cyprus is likely to reject any suggestion that opening direct trade is related to the opening of ports and airports.

EU officials expressed doubts that Babacan’s comments indicated that a deal was imminent.

Their scepticism could be based on an assessment of the political temperature in Turkey, where ceding control of Varosha, even if accompanied by measures to open free trade with Northern Cyprus, is likely to be deeply unpopular.

Onur Oymen, deputy chairman of the opposition Republican People’s Party, said: "I don’t know if any member of the Turkish parliament would vote for additional measures without concessions."

He suggested that Turkey instead open its ports to nine new EU member states, without applying the Ankara agreement to Cypriot vessels until a comprehensive peace agreement is reached.

Addressing concerns that Turkey has slowed in its effort to meet EU norms, Babacan indicated that controversial articles of the Turkish penal code, which have resulted in a series of prosecutions against prominent authors and one member of the European Parliament, could be changed.

"We have to watch the implementation, but if in future we see that there are really serious issues about the article then this is not something that cannot be changed," he said.

Elif Shafak, a Turkish author who goes on trial on 21 September for "denigrating Turkishness" under article 301 of the code, described the case against her as "absurd" but expressed optimism.

"Despite all these obstacles, I am hopeful about the progressive and democratic forces in Turkey," she said.

Turkey’s chief negotiator with the EU, Ali Babacan, has warned that a bust-up over his country’s application to join the Union will have knock-on effects for relations with other countries in the Mediterranean and Middle East.