Turkey to move on customs deal
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey said yesterday that it would initial this week a long-awaited agreement extending its customs union with the European Union to 10 new EU members, including Cyprus. But in comments sure to annoy Cyprus, Turkey also said the protocol covered only free movement of goods. Nicosia says the protocol embraces services such as shipping too. Signing the protocol is the only hurdle Turkey still faces before starting its own EU entry talks on October 3. Cyprus says it will veto the talks if it remains unhappy with Ankara’s stance. «The agreed text (of the protocol) will be confirmed this week through an exchange of letters,» Turkish government spokesman Cemil Cicek told a news conference. «The protocol concerns free movement of goods. It does not concern the services sector,» Cicek said, signaling that Turkish airports and ports would remain closed to the Greek Cypriots. In Nicosia, government spokesman Kypros Chryssostomidis said Turkey must fully implement the protocol and made clear this meant allowing Cypriot aircraft to enter Turkish airspace and Cypriot-flagged ships to call at Turkish ports. The latter is of particular importance to Cyprus, which has one of the world’s largest shipping fleets. «[The customs union] covers freedom of trade, movement of goods and people,» Chryssostomidis said. Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and Cicek stressed that extending the protocol would in no way signify Turkish recognition of the Cypriot government. Gul said the protocol might not be formally signed and come into effect until July at the earliest because the Turkish and European parliaments would have to ratify the agreement.
