New row could hit Turkey EU talks

Many in Europe question whether Turkey and the EU are compatible

Europe's Parliament has postponed a vote on Turkey's new customs agreement with the EU, following a row over Ankara's refusal to recognise Cyprus.

Turkey signed the agreement, which extends an existing deal to the 10 new EU states including Cyprus, in July.

But Ankara has insisted that Cyprus cannot use its ports and airports.

The move comes as EU foreign ministers meet in Wales to discuss whether to allow Turkey to begin negotiations on joining the EU next month.

UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who chaired the meeting, said he was "reasonably confident" that Turkey would begin entry talks on time.

Free movement

However, Cyprus, supported to some extent by France, is saying it is not right for Turkey to denigrate the status of a member of the club it is trying to join.

In a draft declaration seen by the BBC, the foreign ministers underline the importance of Turkey normalising relations with all EU member states as quickly as possible.

Mr Straw said he hoped the document's wording would be agreed by ambassadors next week.

"The European Union has long held out the prospect of membership to Turkey," he said.

Let nobody play politics with Turkey Abdullah Gul Turkish Foreign Minister

"I remain reasonably confident that the European Union will be able to meet that deadline and there will be prior agreement to doing so."

Turkey backs a Turkish Cypriot administration in the north of the divided island, shunning the internationally-recognised Greek Cypriot government.

Cyprus has been split since Turkey invaded in 1974 in the wake of an abortive coup by supporters of union with Greece.

Deal 'unworkable'

Announcing the parliament's decision, Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Elmar Brok said the vote would now be held at the end of September, a few days before accession talks are due to start.

Turkey's refusal had rendered the customs agreement unworkable, he said, and entry talks were hardly feasible until the problem was ironed out.

But before flying to the UK for the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Ankara had done all it had been required to do and expected the EU to keep its word on the opening of negotiations.

He said only full EU members were required to open ports and airports under the agreement.

"This is different from what is expected of those negotiating... Let nobody play politics with Turkey," he said, quoted by Reuters news agency.

Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said on Thursday that Turkey could be an EU member by 2015 if it demonstrated it was committed to democratic reform.

But Germany's Christian Democrats, along with the governments of Austria and Slovakia, want Turkey to be offered a privileged partnership with the EU instead of full membership.