Brussels, 28/11/2001 (Agence Europe) - The meeting on Tuesday in Ankara between Guy Verhofstadt and Bulent Ecevit did not see any breakthrough on the question of European Union access to NATO facilities in future preventive and crisis control operations (see yesterday's issue of EUROPE, page 4). According to the BELGA Agency, a source close to the President of the European Council believed that a "semi-miracle" would be needed to get out of the current impasse. During his visit to Ankara with Mr Ecevit and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ismail Cem, Mr Verhofstadt also brought up the situation in Cyprus.
On the issue of NATO, the Financial Times indicated that the Political Director at the Foreign Office, Peter Ricketts, had assured Turkey that the future European Union Rapid Reaction Force would not be used in sensitive Turkish security areas. American Secretary of State, Colin Powel, will be discussing these issues on his visit to Ankara on 14 December.