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dezembro 17, 2004
EU leaders endorse breakthrough deal on Turkey: diplomats
Fonte: France Press
The EU's 25 leaders agreed a compromise agreement clearing the way for the bloc to launch historic membership talks with Turkey, diplomats said.
European Union chiefs applauded as the deal was struck on the second day of an EU summit dominated by Turkey's EU hopes, but which had been threatened by a standoff over calls for Ankara to recognize Cyprus, the diplomats said.
According to the final conclusions, the EU welcomed Turkey's decision to sign a protocol to the 1963 Ankara Agreement, a decision that amounts to a de facto recognition of the Greek Cypriot government.
The EU "welcomed the declaration of Turkey that 'the Turkish government confirms that it is ready to sign the protocol on the adaptation of the Ankara Agreement prior to the actual state of accession negotiations and after reaching agreement on and finalising the adaptations which are necessary in view of the current membership of the European Union'," it said.
On Thursday, the leaders had agreed an offer to start the negotiations on October 3 next year but set a series of strict conditions and warned the talks were likely to take at least a decade.
They spent much of Friday haggling over the details of a compromise over Cyprus, which has been divided along ethnic lines since Turkish troops invaded its northern part in 1974 to stave off a bid to unite the island with Greece.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was declared a decade later, but remains recognised by no one in the international community save for Turkey.
Publicado por esta às dezembro 17, 2004 04:35 PM