Brussels, 07/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - In its progress report on Turkey on Wednesday, the European Commission is expected to finally refrain from recommending that Member States partially suspend accession talks because of the Turkish government's refusal to apply the protocol on extending customs union to Cyprus. By acting this way, the Commission plans to grant Turkish authorities a further five weeks - until the European Council on 14 and 15 December - to come into line with their obligations and open the ports and airports to Cypriot ships and aircraft. The Commission's caution can be explained by the fact that it does not wish to compromise the efforts made by the Finnish Presidency as it continues consultation aimed not only at resolving the problem of the Ankara protocol but also at putting an end to the economic and trading isolation of the Turkish part of Cyprus.
Wednesday's report - which will be highly critical of the general slowdown in reforms underway last year as well as the lack of freedom of expression - should, however, contain a serious warning to Ankara: the country's persistent refusal to implement the Ankara protocol will not be without an impact on the way membership talks continue. It will then be up to EU Heads of State and Government to assess the situation mid-December and to decide measures to be taken. Turkey and the Cypriot issue will therefore inevitably be on the December European Council agenda, recently published by the Finnish Presidency (see related article below).
The Commission's decision to defer its recommendations until December will also allow Turkey to make last minute progress in its internal reforms, especially concerning amendments to Article 301 of the criminal justice code which, in its current form, restricts freedom of expression. Last weekend, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was open to amending the article concerned, but the Commission had stressed on Monday that it wants these declarations to be followed up with 'concrete action” (see EUROPE 9300). (hb)