NICOSIA (AFP) - Cyprus said yesterday that it will put the brakes on any further EU accession negotiations with Turkey because Ankara has failed to comply with its obligations to open its air and sea ports to Cypriot traffic.

Cyprus will adopt a more belligerent stance against Ankara until the EU Commission issues a progress report on Turkey’s accession talks on November 8, government spokesman Christodoulos Pasiardis told reporters yesterday.

Cyprus and Greece have warned their EU partners not to bring any more chapters to the table, as they would be blocked due to a lack of movement on the ports issue.

“Our aim is, and remains at least until November 8, when Turkey’s progress report is expected to be issued, not to accept the opening of any of the remaining 34 chapters concerning Turkey’s accession course,” Pasiardis said.

He said Cyprus and Greece told EU ambassadors in Brussels they “would not open” the industry chapter if it is brought to the table for discussion as was scheduled yesterday.

“Our position remains firm: We will not allow the opening or closing of any chapter as long as Turkey continues to refuse to fulfill its obligations toward the EU and specifically toward Cyprus,” said the spokesman.

Turkey has signed a customs union agreement with the EU extending a trade protocol to the 10 members, including Cyprus, that joined the bloc in May 2004.

But Turkey refuses to open its ports to Cyprus - whose Greek-Cypriot government it does not recognize - unless the EU makes good on a promise to break the economic isolation of the divided island’s Turkish-occupied north.

Finland, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency, is pushing a compromise aimed at placating both Cyprus and Turkey.

The deal reportedly offers partial access to Turkish ports while opening the northern port of Famagusta under EU supervision with Greek Cypriots being allowed to return to the UN-protected resort town of Varosha.

Neither side has commented on the Finnish proposal, but Turkey is heading for a bumpy ride if it continues to take a hard line on deny access to Cyprus traffic.

“Cyprus can not act as if nothing is happening in EU-Turkey relations at a time when it refuses to meet its obligations toward the European Union,” Cypriot Foreign Minister Giorgos Lillikas said before leaving for Athens yesterday.