Talks between European Union and Turkey over Cyprus fail

Turkey wants to keep Cyprus separate from its EU membership process

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Discussions between the European Union and Turkey on the Cyprus question have failed.
      "This morning I first met with Cypriot Foreign Minister Giorgios Lillikas and then I spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül. Unfortunately we have come to the conclusion that the preconditions for achieving an agreement do not exist at this stage during the Finnish EU Presidency", announced Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja on Monday.
     Tuomioja is hosting the Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs (EUROMED) in Tampere.
      Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül arrived in Helsinki already on Sunday to discuss the problem with the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Olli Rehn.
      Foreign Minister Gül stressed on Sunday that he appreciated Finland’s efforts and hoped for a good result, adding that it would require compromises, and not only from one side.
      Speaking to reporters at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, he added that an opportunity for a solution was missed in 2004 when the Greek Cypriots rejected a unification plan put forward by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
      Rehn gave few details after several hours of discussions on Sunday night. He said that his talks with Foreign Minister Gül had been "constructive", but that the work was not yet complete. "In addition to the Cyprus question, we spoke about relations between Turkey and the EU in a broader sense", Rehn said in a telephone interview.
     
The Tampere gathering has been seen as one of the last significant opportunities to resolve the Cyprus question before the Commission puts forward a proposal next month on how to proceed with Turkey’s EU membership process.
      The EU has called on Turkey to open its harbours and airports to Greek Cypriot vessels and planes by December the 6th. In return, the EU has said that Turkish-occupied North Cyprus could be allowed to trade directly with the EU.
      Turkey could face at least some obstacles in its membership talks with the EU if it rejects the demands. However, Gül says that he does not believe that there would be any break or slowdown in the talks.
      "The Cyprus question is political, and it should not poison our negotiation process. It is not a part of the negotiation process", Gül said.
     
Officials at the Finnish Foreign Ministry say that freezing Turkey’s membership process would "not be in anyone’s interest".
      The membership talks comprise 35 different parts, of which three or four are linked with the free trade. One possible repercussion of the failure of the Cyprus talks could be the freezing of discussions on the EU customs union.
     
Turkey’s general elections, which are scheduled for next year, comprise another factor that is making the process more difficult. Another key factor is the more active role being taken by the United Nations in seeking to re-unite Cyprus.
     
The Cyprus question is not on the actual agenda of the EUROMED meeting. Items to be discussed by the European and Mediterranean foreign ministers range from the Mideast situation to illegal immigration.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  PM Vanhanen says Cyprus dispute must be resolved in early December (21.11.2006)

Links:
  Finland´s EU Presidency Website

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