Turkish EU membership talks recommended

An influential European Parliament committee recommended on today that the EU open membership talks with Turkey, but only if the country follows through on democratic reforms.

An amended report approved in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Union’s assembly said the December EU summit should “open the negotiations with Turkey without undue delay” if conditions are met.

“The compromise got the balance between constructive and critical in the right way,” said Camiel Eurlings, the Dutch Christian Democrat who drafted the report.

The committee voted 50 in favour of the amended report, 18 against, with six abstentions.

In an amendment sure to be controversial in Ankara, the committee said that opening negotiations would “presuppose recognition by Turkey” of Cyprus, which joined the EU in May and would be one of the 25 EU nations involved in Turkey’s membership negotiations.

Diplomats say the question of Turkey recognising Cyprus could become crucial before the EU decision, but Turkey’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Ankara has no plans to do so before December’s summit.

Cyprus has been divided into a Greek Cypriot-controlled south and a Turkish-occupied north since Turkey invaded in 1974 after an abortive coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only Turkey recognises the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state.