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Turkish FM stands firm over EU bid
AFP: 12/10/2004

BRUSSELS, Dec 10 (AFP) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stood firm Friday behind Ankara's bid to join the European Union, rejecting calls to recognize Cyprus and dismissing any new conditions to win EU entry.

In Brussels for talks ahead of a crunch EU summit next week, he said there could be no new rules for Turkey, which is hoping to win a green light finally to start EU membership negotiations next year.

"We don't want to be faced with extra criteria ... The game has already begun, there should be no new rules," he told reporters.

"We cannot stop in any way the movement of Turkey towards the modern world through some artificial excuses or pretexts," he said. "Nobody has the right to say that Turkey is not eligible."

EU leaders meeting next Thursday and Friday are expected to give Ankara a green light to start talks, but set strict conditions including possible travel restrictions and a warning that the talks will take at least a decade.

Erdogan was speaking after European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso, while saying he supports Turkey's EU bid, indicated that Ankara would have to recognize Cyprus to start entry talks.

Barroso told Erdogan that "if and when the negotiation with Turkey will be opened it will be a negotation between Turkey and the EU, and it (is) clear that the EU (is) an entity of 25 member states" -- a clear reference to the fact that Turkey must formally recognize all EU countries including Cyprus.

But speaking later in the day Erdogan bluntly dismissed the commission chief's comments.

"Mr. Erdogan rejected the appeal by (European Commission chief Jose Manuel) Barroso concerning the recognition of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkey," said a Turkish diplomat.

"They are not deserving that after rejecting the Annan plan," he said, in reference to proposals by UN chief Kofi Annan to re-unite the island which were rejected by a referendum in the Greek-run south of the island.

Cyprus has been divided along ethnic lines since 1974, when Turkish troops occupied the northern third of the island in response to a coup engineered by the then-ruling military junta in Athens to unite the country with Greece.

Only the Greek-Cypriot part of the island joined the EU on May 1, after Greek Cypriots rejected in a referendum a UN blueprint to reunify Cyprus. Turkey only recognises the Turkish Republic of Nothern Cyprus declared in 1983.

Erdogan meanwhile reiterated Ankara's demand that it be offered the prospect nothing but full membership. Some EU states are suggesting that Turkey should be offered a "privileged partnership" instead.

"Our objective is full membership," said Erdogan.

Barroso backed Turkey's demand. "It is (Barroso's) hope ... to be able to start negotiations with in mind a full membership of Turkey," said the EU chief's spokeswoman, Francoise Le Bail.

And the EU commission chief also reiterated his support for Turkey's EU bid his hope for a "positive outcome" at next week's summit.

"He personally supports the accession of Turkey to the union ... He thinks it will be a good thing for Turkey and it will be a good thing for the Union as well," said his spokeswoman.

Barroso is "expecting that a positive outcome will be there next week, a positive outcome which will mean being able to start negotiations with Turkey," she added.

But at the same time he warned Erdogan that he must be sensitive to EU concerns in his negotiating stance.

"President Barroso explained to Prime Minister Erdogan the difficulties that were existing with certain member states and certain public opinions. His recommendation was of course to take this into consideration," she said.