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E.U. freezes dialogue with Turkey

ANKARA (Turkey): Turkey on Tuesday accused the European Union of treating it unfairly by partially freezing Ankara's membership talks, and said the decision had strained relations with the 25-nation bloc.

E.U. Foreign Ministers agreed on Monday to suspend eight of 35 negotiating issues in Turkey's membership talks because of Ankara's refusal to trade with E.U. member Cyprus.

``The decision of the E.U. is an injustice against Turkey,'' said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, addressing members of his ruling party in Parliament. ``I have to say that Turkey-E.U. relations are going through a serious test, despite all our efforts.''

Reforms to continue

But Mr. Erdogan vowed that Turkey would continue with the reforms it must carry out if it is to eventually join the E.U. ``In the period in front of us, we know very well what we have to do — we have to carry out our reforms with the same decisiveness,'' he said. Monday's decision was taken to penalise Ankara for refusing to honour a 2005 pact to open its ports and airports to 10 new E.U. members — including Cyprus, whose Greek Cypriot Government Ankara does not recognise.

E.U. leaders are expected to endorse the Foreign Ministers' decision at a two-day summit beginning on Thursday.

The Mediterranean island of Cyprus has been divided into an internationally recognised Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot since Turkey invaded it in 1974 in response to a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Ankara is the only Government to recognise the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in the north. — AP

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