TURKISH Ambassadors to 15 EU countries, the United States and the occupied areas were meeting in Ankara yesterday to assess EU and Cyprus policies for 2004 as European Union External Affairs Commissioner Chris Patten made it clear that a deal to admit Turkey would depend on “a positive decision on Cyprus”.
Yesterday’s meeting in Ankara was to be chaired by Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, and the ambassadors were due to discuss the recent developments in Turkey-EU relations, the policies to be pursued, and developments about Cyprus.
The ambassadors had an evaluation meeting on Thursday under the leadership of Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal, and were later received by Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash said yesterday he would evaluate the outcome of the meeting.
Chris Patten told the BBC yesterday the bloc was nearing the limits of its expansion but he hoped Muslim NATO member Turkey could yet be accommodated. Patten said he very much hoped that Turkey, expecting a decision late next year on the opening of membership negotiations, could join the union.
“I hope it will be able to show us in the course of the next few months that it is up to the job of negotiating membership,” he said. But he also said a deal to admit Turkey would depend on “a positive decision on Cyprus”. Cyprus is due to enter the EU in May.
In his review of the year UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan said: “We promoted the settlement process in Cyprus and did not quite succeed in that, but I hope that we are still capable of attaining this goal.”
According to reports yesterday, US Special Cyprus Envoy Thomas Weston will meet Annan soon to discuss ways of resuming Cyprus peace talks in line with the UN plan for the island. Weston is reportedly planning to brief Annan on his recent visits to Athens, Nicosia and Ankara.
The new Turkish Cypriot ‘parliament’ convened on Friday following the inconclusive December 14 general election, but members said it would take more time to form a new administration to carry forward the Cyprus peace talks.
Denktash stayed away from the oath-taking ceremony, but he is expected to give a mandate in the next few days to one of the party leaders to try to form a ‘government’.
“It is not definite yet, but the mandate will most likely be given on Monday,” Mehmet Ali Talat, leader of the biggest party, the pro-settlement Republican People’s Party, told Reuters.
Denktash said on Thursday that he favoured a broad-based administration among the political parties, adding that it would not be wise to go for new elections.
“Elections will cause tension among people and the work of the state will slow down,” he said. “I hope it won’t be necessary.”
