Turkey today accused the European Union of bowing to Greek Cypriot pressure and being hesitant to take bolder steps on the Cyprus stand-off.

The European Union has treated Turkey unfairly, Turkey’s prime minister said today, a day after EU ministers agreed on a partial freeze of Ankara’s membership talks over its refusal to open ports to trade with EU member Cyprus.

European Union foreign ministers today struggled to agree on how to sanction Turkey for refusing to open its ports to trade with EU member Cyprus.

European Union foreign ministers today struggled to agree on how to sanction Turkey for backtracking on a commitment to open its ports to trade with Cyprus, without alienating Ankara, which is negotiating to become the first mainly Muslim country to enter the EU.

Turks were sharply divided today over the government’s surprise proposal to open a major port and airport to long-time foe Cyprus and save the country’s troubled EU membership talks.

The leaders of Germany and France underlined their support today for the partial suspension of Turkey’s European Union membership negotiations.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan today warned the European Union not to push his country away from membership negotiations, as the EU considered a partial suspension of talks over Turkey’s refusal to open up to trade with Cyprus.

Turkey has agreed to European Union terms on opening membership talks, diplomats in Luxembourg said tonight.

The European Union has postponed a 4pm ceremony that was to mark official start of Turkey’s EU membership talks, diplomats said.

A Turkish official today said Turkey had rejected proposed changes to its framework agreement to opening accession talks with the European Union.

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has said negotiations with Turkey over EU membership must go ahead tomorrow.

European Union foreign ministers were preparing for a last-ditch attempt today to persuade Austria to drop its objections to starting membership negotiations with Turkey.

European Union foreign ministers will hold emergency talks this weekend to try to overcome Austrian objections to starting entry talks with Turkey, after ambassadors failed to reach agreement today, diplomats said.

EU ambassadors meet today in an effort to overcome differences that threaten to derail the start of Turkey’s formal EU membership negotiations – with opposition from Austria appearing to be the biggest obstacle.