Cyprus to reject Turkish “minimal” move to open ports

The Cyprus government is widely expected to reject Ankara’s last-minute effort to open one port and one airport to Greek Cypriot traffic in exchange for other concessions in a move that Turkey hopes will save its European Union accession hopes.

Presidential spokesman Vassilis Palmas told RIK radio Thursday that the Turkish demand for the opening of Tymbou airport in the occupied north was a “red line” for the Cyprus government and would never accept such an offer.

He said “this has nothing to do with the (recent) Finnish efforts,” for a partial lifting of Greek Cypriot sanctions in exchange for the return of the occupied city of Varosha under United Nations control and the operation of the occupied port of Famagusta under EU regulations.

Palmas said that president Tassos Papadopoulos, who is concluding an official visit to China, “does not have any proposal in front of him” but would not accept to the opening of the airport to international traffic as this would constitute recognition of the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state recognised and sponsored only by Turkey.

Ankara announced Thursday that it would open up only one airport and one port to Cyprus vessels and would seem as partly complying with the Ankara protocol that called for Turkey to open all its ports and airport to all 25 EU member states, including Cyprus.

Turkey’s refusal to abide by the protocol has so far caused a rift among the union members over the type of sanctions to be imposed on Turkey, with some EU states, led by Britain, rejecting sanctions altogether, while the France-Germany front seeking a slowing down of Turkey’s accession process by freezing eight of the 35 chapters for negotiations with Ankara.

 

— Commission says bid is an “important step”

 

“I can confirm that we have received a proposal from the Turkish side. One element is the opening of one port and one airport,” the spokeswoman for Finnish prime minister Matti Vanhanen told EUobserver.

But Vanhanen’s spokeswoman added that Ankara’s offer is not fully clear, with the Finnish EU presidency currently in contact with Turkish counterparts to see if the offer is “conditional or not.”

The European Commission gave a cautious welcome to Turkey‘s move calling it an “important step” if it is confirmed.

It said it would seek clarification on Ankara‘s statement ahead of an EU foreign ministers’ meeting on Monday.

Member states’ ambassadors to the EU were expected to discuss the proposal Thursday at a meeting which will highlight deep divisions between member states on the issue which are set to come to a head at Monday’s foreign minister meeting.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters in Berlin that Turkey appeared to be showing a “cautious readiness to make concessions.”

If these proposals were constructive they represented “positive elements” to be taken into consideration by European Union foreign ministers who meet in Brussels next week and by the bloc’s leaders who gather in the Belgian capital for an EU summit on December 14-15.

In Brussels, Krisztina Nagy a spokesman for EU enlargement chief Olli Rehn, said the Turkish initiative – if confirmed – would represent an “important step.”

The eleventh-hour Turkish move “should have a positive impact” on Turkey‘s troubled bid to join the EU, she added.

If Turkey‘s offer is deemed credible – and there is no objection from Nicosia – the commission could withdraw its recommendation of a partial suspension in Ankara‘s accession talks.

“Things are moving, we will have to see what they result in,” said Folke Sundman, adviser to Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja.

Tuomioja has been trying for several months to forge a compromise deal under which an opening of Turkey‘s ports would be reciprocated by EU moves to re-establish trade with northern Turkish Cyprus.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said in recent weeks that the commission must provide a special Turkey progress report by 2009 before any decision is taken on restarting talks.

Merkel has also suggested the introduction of a ‘review clause’ on Turkey meaning that even if Ankara meets EU demands there would still have to be a unanimous decision by all EU countries to resume negotiations.

Germany‘s grand coalition government is also split on Turkey.

Merkel, who is Christian Democratic, opposes Turkish entry to the EU. The CDU is also reportedly hoping to use public hostility to Ankara‘s accession to win votes in European Parliament elections in Spring 2009 as well as planned German general elections in autumn of that year.

However, Foreign Minister Steinmeier, whose Social Democratic party is in the German coalition, backs Turkish membership.