This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/6168023.stm
The article has changed 14 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Turkey sanctions on EU's agenda | Turkey sanctions on EU's agenda |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to decide how to punish Turkey for barring ships and planes from Cyprus from its ports and airports. | |
| Turkey - the only country in the world to recognise the administration of northern Cyprus - is currently negotiating terms for EU entry. | Turkey - the only country in the world to recognise the administration of northern Cyprus - is currently negotiating terms for EU entry. |
| The European Commission is now proposing that talks on eight subjects up for negotiation should be frozen. | The European Commission is now proposing that talks on eight subjects up for negotiation should be frozen. |
| The negotiations have been dogged by the question of Cyprus. | The negotiations have been dogged by the question of Cyprus. |
| The Republic of Cyprus - the divided island's recognised government which controls the Greek Cypriot south - is an EU member. | The Republic of Cyprus - the divided island's recognised government which controls the Greek Cypriot south - is an EU member. |
| If the foreign ministers fail to reach an agreement at their talks in Brussels, the issue will go to a meeting of heads of state and government at the end of the week. | If the foreign ministers fail to reach an agreement at their talks in Brussels, the issue will go to a meeting of heads of state and government at the end of the week. |
| Baggage of history | Baggage of history |
| The BBC's Jonny Dymond says that when it was decided that Cyprus could join the EU, the presumption amongst EU policy-makers was that it would join as a united island, and that the Turkish-sponsored breakaway north would be subsumed into some kind of confederal whole. | The BBC's Jonny Dymond says that when it was decided that Cyprus could join the EU, the presumption amongst EU policy-makers was that it would join as a united island, and that the Turkish-sponsored breakaway north would be subsumed into some kind of confederal whole. |
| But, instead, the south rejected a reunification plan and joined the EU alone - and has subsequently used its veto power to block and delay negotiations with Turkey. | But, instead, the south rejected a reunification plan and joined the EU alone - and has subsequently used its veto power to block and delay negotiations with Turkey. |
| Our correspondent says that partly because of the baggage of history and partly because it feels the north has not been rewarded for agreeing to the reunification plan, Turkey has not budged over recognising the south, and so one of the EU's most ambitious enlargement projects is now at risk. | Our correspondent says that partly because of the baggage of history and partly because it feels the north has not been rewarded for agreeing to the reunification plan, Turkey has not budged over recognising the south, and so one of the EU's most ambitious enlargement projects is now at risk. |
| He adds that EU members that were never keen about taking on Turkey are only too happy to let Cyprus bring the project crashing down. | He adds that EU members that were never keen about taking on Turkey are only too happy to let Cyprus bring the project crashing down. |