Turkey's EU Hopes Hanging On Cyprus Settlement
by Lorys Charalambous, Tax-News.com, Cyprus
30 December 2003

A positive outcome to the Cyprus settlement is an essential component of Turkey’s successful accession to the European Union according to EU External Affairs Commissioner Chris Patten.

As Turkish ambassadors to the 15 member states, the US and Northern Cyprus met in Ankara at the weekend to discuss the issue of Cyprus and how it affects Turkey’s accession hopes, Patten indicated that Turkey may be running out of time to get accession negotiations on track during 2004.

Talking to BBC Radio 4 last Saturday, Mr Patten indicated that next year’s intake of ten new member states to the EU could well be the last significant enlargement, at least for a number of years. "There is a sense that at 25 or 30 the EU is going to be difficult to run. At much more than that, well nigh impossible", stated the Commissioner.

Though Turkey is formally a candidate country for EU accession, negotiations have yet to commence and Ankara may have to wait until the end of 2004 before EU leaders spell out whether the country has met the political criteria to become a full time member. However, this outcome could yet hinge on a satisfactory conclusion to the Cyprus question.

"I hope it will be able to show us in the course of the next few months that it is up to the job of negotiating membership," Patten told the BBC, though he added "a positive decision on Cyprus" would be highly desirable.

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