Commissioner Rehn: Turkey must open its harbours to Cypriot ships

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The European Commissioner for Enlargement, Olli Rehn, has called on Turkey to agree to European Union demands in order to avoid a "collision" with the EU.
      "Turkey must meet its obligations toward the Republic of Cyprus", Rehn said to a group of journalists in Brussels on Tuesday.
      Turkey, for its part, continues to refuse to allow vessels from Cyprus, which joined the EU in 2004, into its harbours until the isolation of the Turkish-occupied North Cyprus ends.
      Rehn is scheduled to submit a Commission assessment on progress in Turkey’s membership negotiations on Wednesday. The report is expected to be critical, but according to advance information, it is not expected to call for a suspension of EU membership talks with Turkey over the Cyprus issue. The aim is to give Finland, the holder of the EU Presidency, a few more weeks to negotiate a solution to the threatened impasse.
     
"The holder of the Presidency will do its best so that the EU will retain its image as a negotiator that keeps its word, and which is tenacious, but fair", said President Tarja Halonen who visited Brussels on Tuesday.
     
The continued isolation of North Cyprus has prompted Turkish commentators to question the EU’s fairness.
      Bahadir Kaleagasi, the Brussels representative of the Turkish business organisation Tusaid, warned on Tuesday that the EU would also suffer unpleasant consequences if there is a collision between Turkey and the EU.
      He said that in such a situation, Cyprus would never become unified, and Turkey would not support the EU in the Middle East or in energy issues.
      Kaleagasi singled out France, accusing it of "turkophobia".
      He praised the Nordic Countries for their "constructive" attitude toward the situation.
     
German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised her full support for EU Presidency-holder Finland in its efforts to find a solution to the conflict between Turkey and Cyprus.
      Merkel gave her comments in Berlin after a lunch with visiting Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen.
      A meeting on the Cyprus issue originally scheduled to have taken place in Helsinki last weekend was cancelled after Turkey refused to attend.
      Vanhanen said that it is decisive for Turkey’s own sake that it wants to become an EU member, and that it should meet the criteria required by membership.
      He would not say if Finland will try to arrange a new meeting in place of the one that was cancelled.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Helsinki Cyprus meeting cancelled due to Turkish reluctance (3.11.2006)

Helsingin Sanomat