EU resolves stand-off with Cyprus on Turkish EU bid

European Union foreign ministers agreed on a common position to start detailed membership talks with Turkey today after resolving a stand-off with Cyprus, officials said.

The EU agreed to Nicosia’s demand that Ankara must be reminded of its obligation to normalise relations with the divided island’s Greek Cypriot government before talks can start, while Nicosia agreed to drop its objections to discussions on the first of 35 negotiating chapters being completed in one day.

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul met his with advisers shortly after the announcement to assess whether the EU’s stance was acceptable for Turkey and whether he would travel to Luxembourg to conclude the first round of talks with the bloc.

The talks are to focus on science and technology – issues seen as straightforward and uncontroversial. Turkey must complete negotiations on all 35 chapters before it can join the EU in a process expected to last several years.

But the Cypriots had insisted that before Turkey’s detailed negotiations could start, the EU had to insist that Ankara extend its customs union to include Cyprus and nine other member states that joined the bloc in 2004.

Although Turkey signed an agreement last July extending its customs union to include the EU’s 10 newest members, it has not implemented the deal. To do so would require Turkey to allow Greek Cypriot ships and planes to use its ports and airports, which it refuses to do until a crippling international embargo on the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state is lifted.

“Failure (by Turkey) to implement its obligations in full will affect the overall progress in the negotiations,” the EU said in a document that was to be handed to Turkey before concluding the talks on science issues.