Brussels, 08/12/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Friday, things were still uncertain regarding Ankara's offer, the scope of which the EU is struggling to evaluate. Lacking clarity, it does not seem to allow Europeans to change direction at this stage. Albeit appreciated, Turkey's gesture is insufficient, Matti Vanhanen, Finland's Prime Minister, confirmed on Friday during a televised debate with journalists. He says the issue will now be coming up before the EU for recommendation. Turkey, which suggested on Thursday that it could open a port and possibly also an airport up to Cypriot vessels and aircraft, has since then maintained the greatest vagueness as to the content and the conditions of these moves, which have not yet been officially confirmed (EUROPE 9323). The Commission's proposal remains the basis for discussion, Mr Vanhanen recalled, awaiting for Ankara to shed light on the matter between now and Monday's General Affairs Council. On Friday evening, discussions were still underway between the ambassadors of the EU25, in order to prepare the ground for the foreign ministers, who are to settle the matter at the beginning of next week.
“What Turkey has said is not enough and the EU will make a decision” on the follow-up to be given to the accession talks, said Matti Vanhanen during a press conference on Friday. This gesture by Ankara shows what the Turkish intention is, what Turkey will do, but it does not mean full implementation of the Ankara protocol, the Finnish Prime Minister confirmed, refusing to evoke possible conditionality of Ankara's proposals. Although “it is true that the EU has not met its commitments” by not breaking the economic isolation of the north of the island, Mr Vanhanen conceded, it is also “really clear that Turkey was to fulfil certain conditions”, which it has not done, and that, he added, is what is being assessed at present. He thus suggested who should make the first step.
This is nonetheless a “very positive signal”, he said, hoping that this will “create a better atmosphere in which to accept the EC proposal”. The latter is a “good basis” for reaching a decision, which, he still believes, will come at the level of foreign ministers as “we already have all the facts on the table”. However, given the current vagueness of the situation, “we shall brief foreign ministers on Monday of the information received from Turkey” and the European Council will also be kept informed, said Matti Vanhanen.
Member States still have the possibility to amend the final decision, but the Commission has already taken into account certain balances, Mr Vanhanen insisted, saying the recommendation proposed (EUROPE 9323) “is quite near the compromise inside the EU side” where “some Member States are demanding more than what the European Commission is asking, while others want fewer than 8 chapters”. The Commission proposal does not include the review clause, but the negotiation process requires unanimity in order to open a new chapter, Mr Vanhanen also recalled. He seemed to doubt the value of any further evaluation of progress made on the matter. Germany and France urged this week for the situation to be reassessed between 2007 and 2009 (EUROPE 9321).
Speaking to students during the morning in the Paris region, José Manuel Barroso recognised that there was still a doubt about the exact content of the offers envisaged by Ankara. Not having received anything in writing, “I still do not know exactly what the Turkish offer is, but we shall analyse it”, the Commission President said, nonetheless judging that it “seems to be along the right lines”. Turkey's gesture shows that they have “understood Europe's message” and that the “Commission's position was correct” as “the Turks have not left negotiation as some feared and are now making a gesture that is positive”, explained Mr Barroso. During the day, the spokeswoman for Commissioner Olli Rehn had said that “efforts for seeking clarification on the exact content of the Turkish initiative are also ongoing”, specifying that at this stage the Commission's recommendation “remains on the table”.
The Enlargement Commissioner met Mehmet Ali Talat, leader of the Turkish-Cypriot community, who was there to urge for the position vis-à-vis Turkey to be made more flexible. Nicosia does not share such a view and threatens to adopt an even harder line if some countries within the European Union seek to use the Turkish proposal to limit sanctions that must be imposed on Turkey for non-compliance, said Cypriot Foreign Minister George Lillikas, who was speaking on the radio on Friday. The day before, in a press release, he had declared that the gesture by Turkey was intended to “impress” and is only a “promise, with conditions”: He went on to ask about Ankara's ability to support an overall settlement of the Cypriot question in 2007, in full electoral period. The EU must take a decision on the basis of recognised facts available to it and not on the basis of attractive promises, Mr Lillikas said. (ab)