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 EU Gives Conflicting Messages on Cyprus |
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Thursday, October 19 2006 @ 10:31 AM Central Daylight Time
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Europe is making conflicting statements before a probable Cyprus crisis between Ankara and Brussels.
Despite European Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn’s statement that Turkey’s EU membership process could come to a crashing halt unless it opened its ports to Greek Cyprus, the Commission’s representative to Ankara Hansjorg Kretschmer gave a different message Wednesday.
Kretschmer said he did not think a big crisis would take place if Turkey did not open its ports to the Greek Cypriots by the end of the year.
Europe sent two warnings after Kretschmer’s statement.
German Foreign Minister Frank Steinmeier said Turkey must open its ports to airplanes and ships coming from Cyprus.
Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik went one step further and said, “Unless Turkey opens its ports, the negotiations will stop at the next step.”
Speaking to the BBC Turkish service, Kretschmer said there were efforts to find a solution before the Council of Europe meeting in December.
"A solution would be to the best interest of all parties, Kretschmer said, adding, “We hope for it; but even if such a solution cannot be found by then, I am not as pessimistic as to think a very big crisis will take place.”
Halting Turkey’s membership process would serve neither Ankara nor the European Union, Kretschmer pointed out. “The EU may give a reaction in different forms unless Turkey opens its ports.”
When reminded of criticisms that the European Union’s direct trade regulations for Turkish Cypriots had not been approved yet, Kretschmer said the issues of regulation and ports could not be compared.
“The Council of Europe’s statement that it would help in lifting the isolation of Turkish Cypriots was a political commitment, a political decision. Therefore, it has no legal value. However, signing and approving the Supplementary Protocol was a precondition for the starting of the negotiations. Therefore, these two issues cannot be compared.”
Halting Negotiations will Make Things more Difficult
In a meeting with Rehn Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Steinmeier said that Turkey must open its ports to Greek Cypriots.
“Frequent talks are being made with Cyprus and Turkey to make some progress in negotiations with Turkey next year,” Steinmeier said.
Meeting Greek Cypriot Foreign Minster Yorgos Lillikas, Austrian Foreign Minister Plassnik said that the negotiations would stop unless Turkey opened its ports.
“In case the negations stop, it will be very difficult to get out of this impasse and it will require very big efforts,” Plassnik claimed.
US Denies Allegations of a Maras Plan
The United States rejected allegations that it had developed a plan to gradually return the Turkish province of Maras to Greek Cyprus in an effort to prevent a “port crisis” between Turkey and the European Union.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tom Casey was reminded of a piece of news in the Greek press saying that, “the U.S. supports a plan on giving the supervision of Magusa to the U.N. for two years and on the EU starting direct trade with Turkish Cypriots,” and asked about the official view in Washington.
Casey said the United States supported the United Nation’s efforts, adding that a solution in Cyprus should be arranged in a way that was acceptable for both sides. |
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