Turks back protocol

Ankara sends letter to EC confirming it will sign customs agreement

A Turkish Cypriot stands under a banner saying ‘Welcome President’ near the Turkish-occupied area of Nicosia yesterday. Elections in the island’s north are to be held on April 17.

By Gareth Jones and Zerin Elci - Reuters

ANKARA - Turkey said yesterday that it had sent a letter to the European Commission confirming it is ready to sign a protocol extending its customs union with the European Union to the 10 new members, including Cyprus.

Extending the protocol is a key condition before Turkey can begin EU accession talks in October but Ankara says the protocol will not amount to recognition of the Greek-Cypriot government.

Cyprus has threatened to veto the start of Turkey's EU talks if it is dissatisfied with Ankara's stance and says the protocol means Ankara must let Cypriot planes enter its air space and Cypriot-flagged ships call at Turkish ports.

In Brussels, Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn welcomed the Turkish letter and the EU executive body said it would set in motion a decision by ministers leading to the signature of the accord in time for Turkey to start EU entry talks on October 3.

«It is a good omen for the forthcoming negotiations, as it shows that Turkey sticks to its commitments,» Rehn told the European Parliament foreign affairs committee.

While the EU accepts Turkey's view that the move is not tantamount to recognition, Rehn said, «Signing the protocol... is a confidence-building measure toward the normalization of relations with the Republic of Cyprus.»

«We have begun the process of signing the protocol. Today the commissioner for enlargement will give information on this issue, probably at the European Parliament. But we have given our approval,» Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said.

Gul, in a televised speech to his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), said the protocol covered only the free movement of goods and did not require Turkey to open its ports and airports to the Cypriots. Rehn's spokeswoman, Krisztina Nagy, said the Commission deemed that Turkish restrictions on vessels and aircraft from Cyprus violated the customs union.

But Turkish diplomatic sources confirmed that Ankara's ports and airports would remain closed to Cypriot ships and planes, saying Cypriot goods would have to enter Turkey via other EU countries, most likely Greece - as they do at present. «The protocol changes nothing in practice,» said a source. Asked about the Commission's interpretation, the source said: «The negotiations (on the text) have been finalized. The ball is now in the EU's court. If there is any further delay or complications it will not be Turkey's responsibility.»

«Turkey cannot begin talks with the EU unless this trade embargo is lifted,» Thomas Kazakos of the Cyprus Shipping Council (CSC) told Reuters yesterday. He blamed the ban for a decline in the number of ships registered in Cyprus. The protocol must be ratified by the Turkish and European parliaments. But signature, not ratification, was the condition for starting the accession talks, Nagy said. Gul said the signing was unlikely to happen before July.

(Additional reporting by Marcin Grajewski in Brussels and Michele Kambas in Nicosia.)

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said he is still waiting to hear from the Greek-Cypriot leadership about their objections to his rejected peace plan to reunify Cyprus, reports from New York said late Monday.

Greek Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis told reporters that he had expressed to Annan Greece's readiness to restart talks - although Greek Cypriots rejected the Annan plan last year.

But Annan spokesman Fred Eckhard said the UN chief had said he was awaiting a written critique of his plan, which was accepted by residents of the Turkish-held north of Cyprus. «He is waiting to receive this. He wants to make sure that they are on firm ground before restarting negotiations,» Eckhard said. «He doesn't want another failure.»