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| EU argues over Turkey's penalty | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| EU foreign ministers are locked in argument over how to penalise Turkey for barring Cypriot ships and planes from its ports and airports. | |
| The European Commission has proposed that parts of Turkey's EU membership negotiations should be frozen. | The European Commission has proposed that parts of Turkey's EU membership negotiations should be frozen. |
| Some members want a hard line taken on Turkey, which does not recognise the Cypriot government - an EU member. | |
| But others are reluctant to open up a rift over the Cyprus question, which has dogged Turkey's EU accession talks. | But others are reluctant to open up a rift over the Cyprus question, which has dogged Turkey's EU accession talks. |
| Finland, the current holder of the EU's rotating presidency, has been trying to find ways of persuading Turkey to open its ports to Cypriot traffic in a first step towards recognition. | Finland, the current holder of the EU's rotating presidency, has been trying to find ways of persuading Turkey to open its ports to Cypriot traffic in a first step towards recognition. |
| But Turkey has refused to do so without steps to start direct trade between the EU and the Turkish-controlled breakaway republic of northern Cyprus. | But Turkey has refused to do so without steps to start direct trade between the EU and the Turkish-controlled breakaway republic of northern Cyprus. |
| "I personally don't expect that we will reach a conclusion today," said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier before Monday's meeting in Brussels. | "I personally don't expect that we will reach a conclusion today," said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier before Monday's meeting in Brussels. |
| "The positions of the European member states - some of them at least - are still too far apart for that." | "The positions of the European member states - some of them at least - are still too far apart for that." |
| Britain, Spain and Sweden are believed not to want Turkey penalised too harshly, while Austria, France and Cyprus want to take a hard line. | Britain, Spain and Sweden are believed not to want Turkey penalised too harshly, while Austria, France and Cyprus want to take a hard line. |
| Germany has been pushing the idea of a review clause, that would fix a time for the EU to discuss again whether Turkey has met its obligations. | Germany has been pushing the idea of a review clause, that would fix a time for the EU to discuss again whether Turkey has met its obligations. |
| If the foreign ministers fail to reach agreement, it will be up to heads of state to try to resolve the problem at their summit on Thursday and Friday. | If the foreign ministers fail to reach agreement, it will be up to heads of state to try to resolve the problem at their summit on Thursday and Friday. |
| 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. |