EU talks with Turkey collapse over Cyprus
The European Union today failed to persuade Turkey to change its stance over EU member Cyprus, further jeopardising Ankara’s bid to join the bloc.
The continuation of Turkey’s EU entry talks hinges on Ankara’s readiness to trade with the Greek-speaking part of Cyprus that joined the union in 2004. Ankara has to date rejected that, as well as a compromise put forward by Finland.
Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, whose country holds the EU presidency, met separately today with his Turkey and Cypriot counterparts, but reported no progress.
“At this stage circumstances do not permit that an agreement could be reached,” he said after his meetings.
Turkey initially faced a December 6 deadline, which Tuomioja today extended by five days.
He said he would place the issue before the next meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on December 11.
A final decision on the future of Turkey’s entry talks lies with the EU leaders who meet on December 14 and 15, also in Brussels
Tuomioja gave no details of his talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and George Lilikas, the Cypriot foreign minister, but expressed dismay at their collapse.
Had they succeeded, he said, they would have been “an encouraging step forward” for the UN’s efforts to reunify Cyprus.
The Mediterranean island has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded it anticipating an attempt by Greek-speakers to forge a union with Greece.
