EU rebukes Turkey but will not suspend membership talks

The European Commission issued a critical report on Turkey Wednesday, stopping short of suspending EU membership talks now but telling Ankara to make progress on Cyprus within five weeks.

Turkey swiftly rejected any link between the key Cyprus trade problem and its accession talks, saying that the responsibility of keeping Ankara's membership bid on track "falls more on the EU."

In its much-anticipated annual report on Turkey's progress on EU reforms, the Commission highlighted human rights problems, including the use of torture and women's and minority issues.

But the thorny issue of Cyprus, an EU member, is most likely to scupper Turkey's ambitions.

"The commission will make relevant recommendations ahead of the (14-15) December European Council (EU summit), if Turkey has not fulfilled its obligations," the European Union's executive arm said in its report.

"No progress has been made on any aspects of normalising bilateral relations with the Republic of Cyprus," it said, warning that "failure to implement its obligations in full will affect the overall progress in the negotiations".

Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn would not be drawn on what recommendations the commission might make, but insisted that a "win-win" solution was possible.

"I have urged EU member states to ... support the Finnish formula," Rehn said as the report was released, "this is likely to be the last opportunity to make serious progress in the years to come."

Finland's initiative to break the impasse includes the resumption of trade at the port of Famagusta, in Turkish northern Cyprus, and the transfer to United Nations control of the ghost town of Varosha, a suburb of Famagusta, formerly inhabited by Greek Cypriots.

Straddled between the Middle East and Europe, Turkey is seen as a strategic point of influence for the Muslim world and its EU candidacy has been strongly backed by the United States and Britain.

But countries like Austria, France and Germany would prefer a "privileged partnership" for Turkey to full membership.

France called for Turkey's EU talks to be slowed down if it does not quickly change its stance on Cyprus, which it invaded in 1974, occupying the northern third.

"If by the end of the year Turkey still does not recognise the 25 (EU) member states, including obviously Cyprus, then it seems to me necessary to review the membership timetable for Turkey into the European Union," Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said.

Turkey refuses to open its air and sea ports to craft flying the flag of the internationally-recognized Cyprus Republic, whose Greek Cypriot government controls the south of the divided island.

This is despite a customs deal with all members of the 25-nation bloc it is seeking to join.

"What we want is not that Turkey doesn't continue the accession process," a Cypriot spokesperson in Brussels said. "Our goal is that it continues but it has to satisfy the rules and for the moment it doesn't satisfy the rules."

Cyprus, like all EU nations, can veto enlargement decisions.

The commission said that while Ankara had made limited progress in some areas, including the fight against corruption and in foreign and security policies, too often legislative reforms were not matched by implementation.

"The pace of reforms has slowed during the past year," it said.

Also the Turkish armed forces "have continued to exercise significant political influence".

On corruption it was equally clear: "Corruption remains widespread in the Turkish public sector and judiciary, despite the efforts in recent years."

While hailing the scrapping of the death penalty in Turkey there was more criticism over the human rights situation and of Article 301 of the Turkish penal code which penalises insulting Turkishness and the state.

While stating that freedom of religion and worship "continues to be generally accepted" persisting problems were highlighted, including legal and property restrictions on non-Muslim communities.

It also highlighted discrimination against the Alevi and Roma minorities. Turkey also has a long way to go on women's and children's rights, the report said, with the birth of girls not registered in parts of the southeast of the country.