Turkey Would Open Ports to Cyprus, Removing EU Block

[pampango]

Source: Bloomberg

Turkey has agreed to open its ports to Cypriot vessels, possibly removing one of the biggest obstacles to advancing its bid to join the European Union, NTV- MSNBC reported.

The agreement with EU negotiators would require approval from Cyprus, the news station reported on its website without saying where it got the information. Cyprus is an EU member that is represented by the Greek Cypriot government. The north of the island has been occupied by Turkish troops since they invaded in 1974 following a coup by supporters of a union with Greece.

Turkey proposed to open a major port, Istanbul or Izmir, in a first stage of the plan, followed by opening all of its ports to Cypriot commerce and tourism, NTV said. The agreement also includes limited permission for charter flights from Europe to the north of Cyprus, it said.

The EU has repeatedly demanded that Turkey open its sea and airports to Cypriot ships and planes, and the country’s refusal to do so has blocked advancement on 14 chapters of its EU negotiations, NTV said.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-31/turkey-would-open-ports-to-cyprus-removing-eu-block-ntv-says.html

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But a report from Reuters adds: "Turkey denies report of Cyprus ships deal with EU"

http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCATRE6BU19520101231

Turkey's foreign ministry denied a media report Friday that Ankara had agreed with the European Union to open its ports to Greek Cypriot ships in a deal to advance its EU accession process.

Turkish broadcaster NTV reported that a deal, which would involve the opening of a port in either Istanbul or Izmir to Greek Cypriot vessels, could go into effect in the coming months if the Cypriot government accepted it.

Turkey's bid to join the EU has been slow since it opened talks five years ago. The largely Muslim but secular state has repeatedly expressed disappointment at the pace of negotiations.

Talks have partly been held up by Turkey's longstanding disputes with Cyprus, an EU member. Resistance among other EU member states, notably Germany and France, is also a factor.

[xchrom]

1. now that's interesting. nt

[go west young man]

2. Anyone reading Wikileaks (which is where the real news is)

would know that Turkey faces bigger obstacles.

1) Germany- http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BA2FM20101211
2) The fooking pope-http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/10/wikileaks-pope-turkey-eu-muslim

[comtec]

3. The saddest thing is I know the EU won't let Turkey in

Europeans don't like the idea and have made Turkey dance in circles, through flaming hoops of fire, and do the macarena.

thing is many of those hoops I understand.
I would say that Turkey is the most modern, civilized Muslim country in the world.

Women are treated well, not like cattle or property (in the cities) are allowed to goto school and have careers (as long as they're the "right" kind) and overall civil.

but because they are an islamic country, they won't be let in.

granted they still have work to do on their human rights laws n such... but they're not that far behind the rest of the EU on most stuff.

Being gay, iirc, is no longer LEGALLY punishable by death. it's still not healthy, but its no longer flat out illegal.

IMHO Turkey deserves at least probational membership, like all the east block countries have gone through.I don't think it'll happen though.
there's a real fear about mass open immigration to the west from Turkey... which kind of defeats the point of the reforms...

I've said it before.I think they deserve a chance, I know many turks, but I don;t think it'll happen.

[Ghost Dog]

4. I agree Turkey deserves some kind of membership,

but the main problem stems from the country's very large and fast-growing population. This would perhaps not involve as much migration of Turks into other EU countries competing for work as some might fear, since Turkey's is a very fast-growing economy right now. But full EU membership under present rules would give Turkey almost as many votes, and soon even more votes and other kinds of representative power in EU council, commission, parliament as Germany, and more than any other EU member. On human rights and other 'governance' as well as geographical, cultural and historical grounds, this doesn't seem realistically acceptable to the present majority.

IMHO one way to go would be to specifically negotiate and develop some kind of, not 'second-class' (although the problem is it would be perceived as such), but rather 'close-associate' membership for qualified countries close to but not belonging to the EU core - which could also be extended to, for example, some countries of the Maghreb, perhaps (and even, thinking way outside the box, to the likes of, say, Canada on the one hand, and, say, some countries of 'Francophone Africa', on the other).

Ufff. Or perhaps, with a little creative tweaking of current perceptions of the 'regional' rather than 'national' stage (it has been a stated goal: a 'Europe of the Regions'), full EU membership could be more easily obtainable by Turkish Eastern Thrace, which is geographically in Europe, rather than by the whole of Turkey. But that would open up a whole other can of worms, wouldn't it.

But then, who am I to opine? I, for example, reckon that the UK probably should (and probably would be happy to) be expelled from the Union.

[awoke_in_2003]

5. "most modern, civilized Muslim country in the world"...

that's not saying much.