By Jean Christou
ALLOWING Turkey into the European Union is a two-way street, External Affairs Commissioner Hans van den Broek said yesterday.
Speaking to Greek and Turkish Cypriot journalists in Nicosia, Van den Broek said it was hoped a satisfactory package could be agreed for Turkey during the Luxembourg summit next week.
He described Turkey as an “important partner” for the EU, which wanted to make it clear to Ankara it was serious about working further in the process for membership.
But he warned that such efforts could not be one-sided. “We hope Ankara will give the EU a number of positive signals which will encourage a positive language in Luxembourg,” Van den Broek said.
“We don’t make any secret of the differences of opinion we have with Turkey… and that there are certain situations in Turkey that would make it very difficult to accept Turkey today as a full member of the EU.”
On Cyprus, he suggested that both sides get together to discuss issues concerning EU accession, a move which would also facilitate efforts for a political settlement.
“That process of encouraging both communities to discuss with each other what their bargaining position will be vis à vis the EU can develop a confidence building which obviously can be conducive to progress in the political talks,” Van den Broek said.
“Let’s try to get out of this vicious circle of first a political solution and then accession talks, and let’s try to have this complicated process of the accession talks help at least to produce more understanding in the political talks.”
He acknowledged there are differences in views between the two sides on a number of issues, including security.
“Whatever the parties agree between each other in order to safeguard what they feel will not easily run into EU objections,” he said. “We don’t work with dogmatisms at the expense of vital interests that deserve, maybe for a period of time, a certain special attention.”
Earlier yesterday the EU Commissioner met Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides and before that Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.
Van den Broek told reporters he had “very open and constructive talks” with Denktash.
He said they concentrated on the problems to be overcome to make accession negotiations a success. “I told Denktash we would be ready to find solutions to the understandable problems that exist,” Van den Broek said.
He added that there many clarifications are still needed in regard to the Turkish Cypriots, who are unfamiliar with the EU and what it stands for.
The Commissioner told Denktash accession negotiations are complicated, especially in the case of Cyprus since there are two communities “that also may have different legislation on both parts of the island”.
He suggested to him that the two sides begin work on compatible legislation as a first step before Turkish Cypriot participation in the accession talks.
Speaking after the meeting Denktash said repeated his call for recognition before the resumption of direct talks with President Clerides.
“By March we shall start negotiations (both sides) and we shall see how the international world will treat us. Then we will decide,” Denktash said.
After meeting the Commissioner, Cassoulides said the Turkish side should accept that EU negotiations will be carried out with the Cyprus Republic.
Only when this is accepted will the Greek Cypriot side talk about ways in which the Turkish Cypriots can participate in the official delegation, he said.
Cassoulides also said the harmonisation of Cyprus legislation would be valid for the whole island.
