Cyprus-Forum.com

[joe]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6162369.stm

Turkish offer fails to impress EU
The port of Famagusta in northern Cyprus
Turkey wants the embargo on northern Cypriot ports ended
The Finnish prime minister, whose country holds the EU presidency, says a concession by Turkey does not go far enough to break the Cyprus deadlock.

"What Turkey has said is not enough," said Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen.

Turkey has offered to open a major port to traffic from Cyprus. Turkey, which controls northern Cyprus, is trying to reinvigorate its EU membership bid.

The EU says Turkey must open its ports to all member states equally. The issue will come up at an EU summit next week.

Mr Vanhanen said the Turkish move was a positive signal, but did not fulfil Turkey's customs obligations. Ankara refuses to recognise the government of Greek-speaking Cyprus.

EU foreign ministers are to discuss Turkey's troubled EU accession bid on Monday.


Then the EU heads of government will have to decide at a summit on 14-15 December.

"The Union has certain conditions and they must all be fulfilled," said Mr Vanhanen. "Turkey cannot become a member until all the open questions are resolved."

Until now, Turkey has always insisted that the EU must first end the economic isolation of Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus.

Last week, the European Commission recommended freezing eight of the 35 chapters in Turkey's EU accession negotiations, because of a failure to make headway over Cyprus.

Turkey has been urging the EU to end the isolation of northern Cyprus by allowing trade through Ercan airport and the port of Famagusta.

Currently the only flights to northern Cyprus are routed via Turkey.

The Turkish offer - made verbally earlier this week - has provoked controversy within Turkey, where the armed forces chief, Gen Yasar Buyukanit, complained that the army had not been consulted.

Turkey has 40,000 troops in northern Cyprus.

In an interview with Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper, Gen Buyukanit described the offer as a departure from the official line and said he had first heard about it on television.