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ANKARA: Ankara's EU Progress, Armenian Bill To Dominate Troika Talks

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  • ANKARA: Ankara's EU Progress, Armenian Bill To Dominate Troika Talks

    ANKARA'S EU PROGRESS, ARMENIAN BILL TO DOMINATE TROIKA TALKS

    The New Anatolian, Turkey
    Oct 16 2006

    Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is braced for discussions during today's
    European Union-Turkey Troika meeting with three key issues on the
    agenda, including Ankara's progress in talks, the Finnish plan and
    the French Parliament's bill on the Armenian genocide claims.

    Gul and senior EU officials will evaluate the future prospects of
    Turkey's membership bid, progress made in implementing reforms, the
    screening process in the year since the beginning of talks and the
    latest Greek and Greek Cypriot block during the key meeting which
    will is being held in Luxembourg.

    The plan proposed by Finland, which holds the rotating EU presidency,
    aimed at avoiding a possible "train crash" in Turkey's membership
    talks, will also dominate the meeting.

    The Finnish plan foresees the opening of the port of Famagusta
    (Magosa) in Northern Cyprus under EU auspices in return for the Turkish
    Parliament's approval of the Ankara protocol, which paves the way for
    the opening of Turkish ports and harbors to the Greek Cypriots. In
    line with the plan, while the Turkish Cypriots would conduct direct
    trade from Magosa, the Varosha (Maras) region, which is currently
    under Turkish Cypriot control, would be under United Nations control.

    Speaking to reporters ahead of his departure from Turkey, Gul told
    reporters that Turkey welcomes all views proposed with good will,
    referring to the Finnish plan. However, Gul stressed that this doesn't
    mean "Turkey accepting the unacceptable."

    Underlining that Turkey is not a directly concerned side in the Cyprus
    dispute, but that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
    is, Gul urged the EU to discuss the latest initiatives with Turkish
    Cypriot leaders to proceed in the Cyprus peace process. The foreign
    minister also praised the latest visit of TRNC President Mehmet Ali
    Talat to Brussels as a "positive" development.

    While Gul is expected to underline the need to find solution to the
    Cyprus problem under UN auspices, he will also urge the Union to end
    the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, which could pave the way for
    Ankara to open its ports and harbors to the Greek Cypriots through
    implementing the Ankara protocol.

    The meeting is important since, according to sources, the results
    could affect the final touches to the EU's progress report, set to
    be released on Nov 8.

    The Turkish foreign minister will also bring the French Parliament's
    recent approval of a bill introducing prison terms and fines for those
    who question the Armenian genocide claims to discussions during the
    Troika meeting.

    During the press conference before his departure, Gul said that he
    would tell EU officials that by passing the Armenian bill the French
    had already altered the Copenhagen criteria. Lamenting the current
    state of Turkish-French relations, Gul said, "I hope France will
    take the necessary measures in order not to shake the already shaken
    relations and its own image."

    According to sources, besides expressing Turkey's concerns on the
    passage of the bill by the French Parliament, stressing that the
    bill limits freedom of expression and also violates the EU's basic
    principles and its pressure on Ankara to amend Article 301 of the new
    Turkish Penal Code (TCK), Gul is expected to praise how influential
    EU officials, including Rehn, have opposed the bill.

    Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, German Foreign Minister
    Frank Walter-Steinmeier, whose country will take over the rotating
    EU presidency from Finland in January, European Commissioner for
    Enlargement Olli Rehn and European foreign policy chief Javier Solana
    will be among the participants of the key meeting. In the wake of
    latest move by Greece and Greek Cyprus to block the opening of new
    chapters in Turkey's EU talks, Foreign Minister Gul is also expected
    to visit Greece late next month to evaluate the latest developments
    with Greek officials, the Greek Foreign Ministry announced on Friday.
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