Turkey gives EU a ‘bitter pill’ over Cyprus

EU leaders and Turkey have made the historic decision to start membership talks next year, but the latest candidate immediately stirred up a row.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern described as a “bitter pill” statements made by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan immediately after the 25 had agreed to open negotiations.

Negotiations came close to breaking down a number of times over the final 24 hours. Many members have reservations because the country is largely in Asia, and its mostly Muslim population will be the largest of any EU country.

Leaders insisted Turkey must fulfil stiff conditions, but the greatest problem was over Turkey’s recognition of the Greek-Cypriot government in the southern half of Cyprus. Turkey occupies the northern half.

Following tortuous negotiations, Turkey agreed to extend their trade agreement to the 10 new members, including Cyprus, before beginning negotiations on October 3, giving the island tacit recognition.

Yet, when the deal was finally done and the Turkish prime minister brought into the meeting, the mood changed. Describing the scene the Taoiseach said, “In the three minutes afforded to everyone to thank everybody and join a toast and say a few nice words at the end, they did put in the bitter pill.”

He said he agreed with the reaction of the Cyprus president, Tassos Papadopoulos, when he reminded the Turks that the deal had been agreed by the 25 members.

The Luxembourg Foreign Minister, Jean Asselborn, accused the Turks of being provocative and said the prime minister’s comments were not acceptable. “We are not a union of carpet sellers”, he said.

At a press conference afterwards Mr Erdogan said signing the trade protocol with Cyprus and the other new members “is absolutely not a recognition”.

The man responsible for steering through the final deal, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende agreed it would not be a formal, legal recognition. but “its a step that can lead to progress”.

During the tense, tedious negotiations the Turks adopted a less aggressive approach than in the past. The US, whose pressure in the past threatened to backfire, was also silent over the past few months.

But leaders left the summit on Thursday night believing they had a deal. When they returned in the morning, Turkey was unhappy with the details.

The Cyprus issue is set to dominate the initial stages of membership negotiations. Turkish troops moved onto the island in 1974 to protect their people and prevent the Greeks annexing it.

A UN brokered peace deal that would have seen both Turkish and Greek parts of the island joining the EU together last May was accepted by the Turkish Cypriots but rejected by the Greeks. A Turkish attempt to reintroduce the UN deal during the talks was rejected. Tthe UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, in Brussels to meet EU leaders yesterday, made it clear the Cyprus issue was now an EU problem.

Turkey’s staunchest allies, including French President Jacques Chirac, German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and the British Prime Minister Tony Blair, worked hard to get Mr Erdogan to make concessions.

Afterwards, Mr Chirac, warned that nothing could be taken for granted. A new list of rules for new members was also agreed by the EU-25 at the summit. Many believe it opens the way to a two-tier structure in the union with countries being offered less than full membership in the future.