EU reaches agreement on its counter-declaration to Turkey

Foreign Minister Gul accuses Cyprus of seeking to sideline UN

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso gestures during a press briefing at commission headquarters in Brussels yesterday. EU diplomats hammered out a new accord on Turkey, warning that non-recognition of Cyprus could paralyze its entry negotiations. ‘Recognition of all member states is a necessary component of the accession process,’ said a joint declaration.

BRUSSELS/UN (Combined reports) - European Union nations yesterday agreed that Turkey must recognize EU member Cyprus during its membership talks, warning that non-recognition could paralyze the negotiations, diplomats said.

Cyprus, meanwhile, said it had tentatively agreed to an EU mandate for membership negotiations with Turkey that are due to start October 3.

At a meeting of EU ambassadors, the 25 member states ended weeks of wrangling over how to confront Turkey on its refusal to recognize Cyprus.

“Recognition of all member states is a necessary component of the accession process,” said a joint declaration by the member states.

Once negotiations open with a ceremony in Luxembourg on October 3, they will split into different chapters — on areas ranging from environmental protection to anti-trust laws and human rights — and then enter a technical process that could last a dozen years.

The EU statement makes clear that progress will depend on Turkey dealing with all its members, including Cyprus.

“The opening of negotiations on the relevant chapters depends on Turkey’s implementation of its contractual obligations to all member states. Failure to implement its obligations in full will affect the overall progress in the negotiations,” the declaration said.

“It seems that we reached today a satisfactory conclusion,” Cyprus government spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides said. “After hard work, cooperation with the Greek government and other states, we achieved a text which satisfies our side; it satisfies our basic expectations.”

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said it was a good basis for opening the negotiations on time.

“The agreement between the member states paves the way for a smooth adoption of the negotiating framework and thus the opening of the accession negotiations with Turkey on October 3,” said Rehn.

EU ambassadors are in a race to prepare a negotiating position for the entry talks with Turkey. Austria was still appealing for clarification on the EU’s proposed negotiating guidelines. Vienna wants to make clear that the outcome of the talks does not guarantee full membership for Turkey, leaving open the possibility of a lesser “partnership” with the EU.

Ambassadors are expected to pick up that issue again next Wednesday, but the Austrian request is widely expected to be defeated.

A Cypriot diplomat said the breakthrough came when Nicosia obtained assurances from British diplomats that Turkey’s recognition of Cyprus would become part of the negotiating process and would not be pushed aside until the end of the talks.

In the meantime, Turkey yesterday accused the Greek-Cypriot government of trying to sideline the UN from a solution to the division of Cyprus. Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told the UN General Assembly the Greek Cypriots, who rejected a UN peace plan for the Mediterranean island in a referendum last year, had since hobbled efforts to renew talks and were now seeking to move the goalposts.

“As if this was not enough, the Greek-Cypriot administration is now trying to sideline the UN and carry the issue to other fora,” he said. “I urge all international actors to discourage these misguided efforts.” (AP, Reuters)