The Hindu : International : Deal on Turkey-E.U. talks

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 18, 2004

International

International

Deal on Turkey-E.U. talks

By Vaiju Naravane

PARIS, DEC. 17. The European Union's 25 leaders agreed on a compromise agreement that opened the way for formal membership talks with Turkey. The heads of state and Government applauded as the compromise was concluded on the second day of a summit dominated by the Turkish question but which had been threatened by a standoff over calls for Ankara to recognise Cyprus.

According to the final conclusions, Turkey will sign a protocol to the 1963 Ankara Agreement, a decision that amounts to a de facto recognition of the Greek Cypriot Government. The Turkish Government has now confirmed it is "ready to sign the protocol on the adaptation of the Ankara Agreement prior to the actual state of accession negotiations and after reaching agreement on and finalising the adaptations which are necessary in view of the current membership of the European Union."

Moves to open formal negotiations with Turkey on its membership of the European Union reached a make or break stage last night after E.U. nations demanded that Turkey recognise the Greek Cypriot Government. Turkey had already done so tacitly when it extended a customs arrangement with the E.U. to the 15 new members of the European club, including Cyprus. However, Turkey had refused to recognise the Greek southern half of the island of Cyprus which joined the E.U. during its most recent enlargement on May 1, this year.

Major plank

The non-recognition of the Greek Cypriot government has long been one of the major foreign policy planks of the Turkish Government which has stationed over 30,000 troops on the divided island's Turkish north. Following a Greek-backed coup in 1974 which aimed at uniting the island with Greece, Turkey invaded the northern half, establishing its protectorate, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Fresh proposal

After Turkey expressed its `disappointment' at the stringent conditions imposed by the E.U., key European countries sought to work out a fresh proposal that would be mutually acceptable. The Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and his Dutch counterpart, Jan Peter Balkenende, whose nation holds the E.U. presidency, met this morning to evaluate the situation. It is reliably learnt that Britain, France, Germany, Greece and the Netherlands worked out the proposal that broke the deadlock.

The E.U. leaders, papering over their own divisions, had agreed among themselves over dinner late Thursday to offer Turkey a start to intensive negotiations on October 3, 2005 leading to nothing less than full E.U. membership. If talks are successfully completed — probably in a decade, Turkey will become the first majority-Muslim nation to join what is now a 25-nation bloc, changing the geopolitical face of the eastern Mediterranean.

Backers of Turkey's E.U. hopes, including Germany, have long argued that the country is a vital bridge between Europe and the West Asia.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News Update

Stories in this Section

Palestinians cool to Sharon offer

Deal on Turkey-E.U. talks

Hollywood plans Falluja movie

Yushchenko `poisoned by TCDD dioxin'

Villagers' victory over U.S. energy giant

Ice Age flute discovered

Jail for Irishmen in Colombia

Bush signs bill to revamp intelligence gathering

India to coordinate with `other three' on Council seat

Fishermen held