Turkey makes last-minute offer to salvage EU accession talks

Turkey, a possible freeze of its European Union accession talks just days away, made a last-minute offer Thursday to ease a trade row with Cyprus, but its proposals were quickly rejected by Nicosia.

Ankara is ready to open one seaport and one airport to Cyprus for one year, but expects a solution to the 32-year division of Cyprus during that period, a senior Turkish official said here on the condition of anonymity.

Turkey, he said, also expects the Ercan airport and the port of Famagusta, in the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) -- recognized only by Ankara -- to be opened to international traffic and trade.

"We are ready to open one port and one airport as part of our customs union responsibilities," the official said, referring to a pact known as the Ankara protocol, which Turkey signed with the EU last year.

"Turkey wants a comprehensive settlement (to the Cyprus conflict) within 12 months," he said. "This should happen under the patronage of the United Nations, but the European Union should lend its support."

Ankara's expectations do not amount to conditions, he stressed, but added, "all these issues are naturally intertwined."

He did not say how Turkey would react if its expectations are not met within the year.

In Nicosia, Cypriot Foreign Minister George Lillikas slammed Ankara's move as a "mockery" and rejected any discussion on the proposals.

"This is a pre-planned move by Turkey to make an impression and one that we expected," he said. "This makes a mockery of the European Union as it is devoid of any serious content."

EU officials cautiously welcomed the offer, but remained confused about its nature.

Several diplomats contacted by AFP could not clear up which locations could be opened or when it might happen, or indeed how much Turkey expected in return.

"Turkey's initiative is a positive step towards full implementation of the Ankara protocol, but still needs clarification," said Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, whose country currently chairs the EU presidency.

"If Turkey is ready for such an unconditional move, this positive step will influence... discussions on the continuation of Turkey's EU accession process," he said.

The EU's executive arm, the European Commission, was also cautious.

"I hope that we will soon have clarification on the exact nature of this step by the Turkish government," Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said. "If it is confirmed, it is obviously a very important step in the direction of complete implementation of the Ankara protocol."

Whether the offer will suffice to revive Turkey's EU talks, which began in October 2005 but have been plagued by delays, remains to be seen.

Last week, the Commission recommended slowing down Turkey's accession process by freezing eight of the 35 negotiating chapters EU hopefuls must complete before joining.

At the core of the row is Ankara's refusal to endorse the Greek Cypriot administration in the south of Cyprus, which is internationally recognized as the government of the divided island.

Turkey has refused to open its ports to Greek Cypriot vessels until the EU keeps its promise to ease the TRNC's international isolation.

Peace talks in Cyprus have been stalled since April 2004, when a UN reunification plan was voted down by the Greek Cypriots, although Turkish Cypriots gave it overwhelming support.

The outcome ensured that the Greek Cypriots alone joined the EU in May that year.

The EU promised at the time to ease the TRNC's economic isolation as a reward for its citizens' "yes" vote.

Turkey's candidacy has divided the 25 EU countries, whose ambassadors struggled Thursday to find a common position for foreign ministers to endorse at a meeting in Brussels on Monday.

Failing that, EU leaders will take up the issue at a summit on December 14-15.

Germany -- which with Austria, France, Cyprus and Greece is most opposed to Turkish membership -- welcomed Thursday's offer as a potentially positive step, while a British official described it as "really significant."