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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Turkey 'will open port to Cyprus' | Turkey 'will open port to Cyprus' |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Turkey has agreed to open one port and one airport to traffic from Cyprus, in an effort to break the deadlock over its EU application, Finland says. | Turkey has agreed to open one port and one airport to traffic from Cyprus, in an effort to break the deadlock over its EU application, Finland says. |
| Finland, the current EU president, said the offer was made on Wednesday. | Finland, the current EU president, said the offer was made on Wednesday. |
| Turkish media said the offer depended on a return compromise over northern Cyprus - but this was not confirmed. | Turkish media said the offer depended on a return compromise over northern Cyprus - but this was not confirmed. |
| The EU - which has threatened to suspend parts of Turkey's membership talks over its refusal to recognise Cyprus - is studying the proposal. | The EU - which has threatened to suspend parts of Turkey's membership talks over its refusal to recognise Cyprus - is studying the proposal. |
| EU ambassadors are trying to reach a common position on Turkey ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers on Monday. | EU ambassadors are trying to reach a common position on Turkey ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers on Monday. |
| If they fail to do so, it could be up to heads of government to decide at a summit on 14-15 December. | If they fail to do so, it could be up to heads of government to decide at a summit on 14-15 December. |
| Last week, the European Commission recommended freezing eight of the 35 chapters in Turkey's EU accession negotiations, because of a failure to make headway over Cyprus. | |
| 'Two-way deal' | 'Two-way deal' |
| A Finnish spokesman said it was not clear whether Turkey's offer met the EU's demands, and that details, like which port and airport were involved, or when they might be opened, were still to be defined. | A Finnish spokesman said it was not clear whether Turkey's offer met the EU's demands, and that details, like which port and airport were involved, or when they might be opened, were still to be defined. |
| However, Turkey's Anatolia news agency said the offer depended on the EU ending the isolation of Turkish-controlled breakaway northern Cyprus, by allowing trade through Ercan airport and the port of Famagusta. | However, Turkey's Anatolia news agency said the offer depended on the EU ending the isolation of Turkish-controlled breakaway northern Cyprus, by allowing trade through Ercan airport and the port of Famagusta. |
| A Turkish foreign ministry source was quoted by Reuters as saying: "This is a two-way deal. We would require the same number of airports and ports to be opened on each side." | A Turkish foreign ministry source was quoted by Reuters as saying: "This is a two-way deal. We would require the same number of airports and ports to be opened on each side." |
| Meanwhile other Turkish government spokesmen said that Turkey was not offering any more than it had done all along. | Meanwhile other Turkish government spokesmen said that Turkey was not offering any more than it had done all along. |
| Cyprus will not agree to Ercan airport being opened to international flights as part of a compromise deal, Cypriot government spokesman Christodoulos Pashiardis told Reuters on Thursday. | |
| Currently the only flights to northern Cyprus are routed via Turkey. | Currently the only flights to northern Cyprus are routed via Turkey. |