EU:The European Commission recommended the partial suspension of Turkey's EU accession negotiations yesterday over its failure to open its ports to Cypriot vessels.
The recommendation is a blow to Turkey's 40-year ambition to join the EU and comes just one year after accession talks formally began. However, the EU executive's decision not to recommend a complete suspension of the negotiations is an attempt to avoid an indefinite halt to the talks, as this would be difficult to overturn at a later date.
"We confirm these negotiations must continue although at slower pace," said EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn. "There will be no train crash. There is a slowing down because of works further down the tracks."
The recommendation, which must still be agreed by EU foreign ministers at a meeting on December 11th, means that eight of the 35 policy areas into which the EU has divided the negotiations would be frozen. In addition, none of the 34 remaining negotiating chapters (one chapter on science has been closed already) could be concluded until the ports issue with Cyprus is solved.
Turkish television quoted prime minister Tayyip Erdogan saying the recommendation was "unacceptable". Britain, Turkey's strongest ally in the EU, called it "disappointingly tough" and Spain also expressed concern.
But several states such as Austria, which is fearful of allowing the predominantly Muslim and poor country into the EU, could push for a tougher penalty on Turkey at the December meeting.
German chancellor Angela Merkel, who favours a privileged partnership with Turkey rather than full EU membership, said the commission's decision showed Turkey had to honour its agreement with the EU to open its ports to Cyprus. She also urged better checks on Turkey's progress in the talks and a review in about 18 months.
The commission issued its decision yesterday in an attempt to prevent the divisive Turkey issue from dominating an EU leaders' summit in mid-December. The potentially explosive nature of the debate was illustrated yesterday when the commission meeting to decide the recommendation overran by an hour.
Mr Rehn said it was a "serious and earnest" debate.
Despite signing up to the Ankara protocol, a customs union with the EU, Turkey has refused to open its ports and airports to Cypriot vessels. It says it won't do this until the EU acts to remove an economic blockade on its protectorate in Northern Cyprus. Talks aimed at finding a compromise on the issue stalled earlier this week.
Political analysts do not believe Turkey will be able to back down on the Cyprus issue in the run up to an election next year.