Commission deals blow to Turkish bid for EU entry

Member states are deeply divided over the European Commission’s proposal to suspend partially accession negotiations with Turkey, with diplomats struggling to avoid the issue overshadowing the EU summit on 14-15 December.

The Commission on 29 November recommended member states partially to put on ice talks with Turkey because of the country’s failure to open its ports to Cypriot vessels.

The Commission made an earlier-than-expected recommendation on the future of Turkey’s EU membership talks, in an attempt to limit infighting among member states in the run-up to the summit.

It said that talks should be suspended in eight areas and that negotiations in 27 other areas should not be concluded before Turkey meets the EU’s demands.

Talks on the free movement of goods, right of establishment, financial services, agriculture, fisheries, transport, customs union and external relations would all be affected.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the recommendation as "unacceptable" in comments to a Turkish television station.

One senior Commission official said that the recommendation came seven days earlier than anticipated to allow the Commission to set the tone of the debate and because member states were "divided" and were "mobilising" over the issue. But late yesterday there was little sign that the Commission’s recommendation had succeeded in quelling the disputes over how to progress in the talks. EU ambassadors were still divided on the number of negotiating chapters that should be affected by the suspension.

France had sought to freeze up to 17 chapters, while the UK had supported suspending three. Cyprus had advocated a complete freeze of negotiations.

Objecting to the Commission’s proposal, which would allow Turkey to open, although not close, a substantial number of chapters, one diplomat said it would put no pressure on Turkey to open its ports. "It gives Turkey another ten to 15 years before they do anything," he said.

The Finnish presidency and the Commission said that they would like to have the issue thrashed out by foreign ministers on 11 December.

But some diplomats admit that it may be impossible for heads of state and government to avoid the debate.

"If Cyprus continues to take such a hard line then it makes it very easy for people to fall in behind them," said one Nordic diplomat.

The Commission’s recommendations follow an announcement on Monday (27 November) by the Finnish presidency that it had failed to reach a deal on opening Turkish ports and airports to Cypriot flag carriers.

After months of negotiation the Finns had put forward a deal which would have opened Turkish Cypriot ports - a key Turkish demand - in return for Turkey handing over the Cypriot town of Varosha.

The senior Commission official said that the Turkish government had been unwilling to push the military to hand over control of Varosha so close to presidential elections.

The official said that Erdogan was keen to become president and was wary of upsetting the military establishment - which along with the president’s office has traditionally been a bastion of the secular republic.

Erdogan’s background as an Islamist and poor relations with the army have prompted talk of a coup in Turkey in recent weeks if he does take over the post.

"Erdogan calculates that he can become president, but not do [Varosha] as well," said the Commission source.

Member states are deeply divided over the European Commission’s proposal to suspend partially accession negotiations with Turkey, with diplomats struggling to avoid the issue overshadowing the EU summit on 14-15 December.