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Turkey talks move closer, but MEPs postpone customs deal

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  • Turkey talks move closer, but MEPs postpone customs deal

    EIU European Voice
    September 29, 2005 Thursday Turkey

    Turkey talks move closer, but MEPs postpone customs deal


    The opening of accession negotiations with Turkey moved closer
    yesterday (28 September) after the European Parliament backed plans
    to start talks next week. But in a serious political blow to Turkey,
    MEPs decided to postpone a vote on an EU-Turkey customs agreement, as
    a sign of frustration with Ankara's refusal to recognise Cyprus.

    MEPs demanded a guarantee that the Turkish parliament, when it
    ratifies the extension of the customs union with the EU's ten newest
    member states, including Cyprus, will drop the Turkish government's
    unilateral declaration that this would not amount to recognition of
    Cyprus.

    Some MEPs reacted angrily to the decision to postpone approval of the
    protocol. Dutch Green deputy Joost Lagendijk, chairman of the
    Parliament's Turkey delegation, said: "It sends a very bad signal."

    UK Liberal MEP Andrew Duff said: "The decision is short-sighted and
    mean-spirited and will particularly affect the ten new member states.
    It sows distrust between the two sides and delays the possibility of
    relaxing the financial and trade embargo against Turkish North
    Cyprus."

    The European Commission said that it deplored the Parliament's
    decision to withhold approval of the customs protocol, describing it
    as "an own goal" for the EU.

    The protest was led by the centre-right European People's Party
    (EPP-ED) but was supported by a cross-party coalition of MEPs.
    Socialist deputy group leader Jan Marinus Wiersma said: "We deplore
    the stance Turkey has taken on Cyprus and the way it has cast serious
    doubt on its willingness to implement the protocol extending the
    Ankara Agreement to the ten new member states." The Socialist leader
    Martin Schulz said that Turkey should recognise Cyprus during the
    negotiations. "This cannot be at the end of the negotiations. It must
    take place immediately, within the first one or two years," he said,
    adding that without such recognition, accession talks should be
    broken off.

    Parliament also said that it considered Turkish recognition of the
    Armenian genocide "to be a prerequisite for accession".

    During the debate Hans-Gert Pottering, the EPP-ED leader, attacked EU
    leaders' tolerant attitude towards Turkey and their tough stance on
    Croatia. Talks with Croatia, initially planned to start last March,
    have been postponed because of the government's alleged failure to
    help bring a war criminal before international justice. The
    Socialists' leader hit back accusing Pottering of religious
    discrimination: "You don't want Turkey in because it is Islamic and
    far away. Croatia is closer and is Catholic," Schulz said.
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