Brussels, 06/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - The political assent of the EU Council over the "accession partnership" relating to Turkey (see EUROPE of 5 December, p.7) favourably welcomed in Ankara. The Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cem felt that the "concerns" that his country has concerning Cypriot affairs and the Aegean Sea had been taken into account. This development favours, in his opinion, the development of Euro-Turkish relations, as it reproduces without additions nor comments the terms that had been kept in December 1999 by the EU Heads of Government (conclusions of the Helsinki Summit).
Turkey will be represented by the Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and by Mr Cem, this Thursday in Nice, in the European Conference (se previous article) and at the lunch with the EU Heads of State and Government, which will precede the opening of the EU Summit.
In Athens, the Prime Minister Mr Costas Simitis expressed his satisfaction, underlining that the "accession partnership" set s path that Turkey must flow in its relations with the EU and other countries. He added: "We feel that the Helsinki agreement and the text of the partnership have created a framework that forces Turkey to adapt to international data and international law, and to develop friendly relations with all its neighbours. Ankara must deploy every effort in view of the resolving of the Cypriot issue and its disputes with the other countries. The text foresees that if Turkey does not conform with its obligations, the EU could stop its payments.
As for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Papandreou, he indicated that he had, on Monday evening, a telephone meeting with Mr Cem, and confirmed Athens's desire to contribute in the best way to the development of a new framework for Greco-Turkish relations through enhanced cooperation. Commenting on this development, the spokesperson for the Minister for Foreign Affairs announced that the Monday decision closed the round and opened a new one in EU-Turkey relations, giving Ankara the possibility to tackle the major internal issues and significant internal changes. A political dynamism in underway and the spokesperson said he was convinced that the partnership text would have an determining influence on future developments and would put on track a control procedure on future Turkish behaviour.
On the other hand, the opposition parties, and in particular Mr Caramanlis assert that the conditions already insufficient and imprecise from Helsinki have been weakened; everything that was initially presented as conditions have become, in the end, an object of dialogue. In fact, Turkey has not subscribed to any undertaking neither over the Cypriot issue nor over the Aegean Sea.