EU Suspends Talks with Turkey

Politics » BULGARIA IN EU | December 11, 2006, Monday // 00:00

EU foreign ministers agreed upon suspending the negotiations for Turkey's EU membership on eight of the 35 negotiating chapters on Monday.

But the discussions among the ministers on the way the 25 member countries will assess Ankara's progress will continue, AFP said.

At the end of November EU Commission officials proposed to freeze eight of the 35 "chapters" or policy areas into which the negotiations are divided.

These are free movement of goods, right of establishment and freedom to provide services, financial services, agriculture and rural development, fisheries, transport policy, customs union and external relations.

The recommendation came after Turkey failed to meet a treaty obligation to open its ports and airports to traffic from Cyprus, one of the 10 new members, which joined the EU in 2004.

Cyprus and Greece have reacted sharply against Turkey's refusal to open its ports and insist on the fixing of a deadline after which they would be able to intensify the sanctions against Ankara.

The final decision on whether to freeze talks with Turkey is expected to be taken at the EU leaders' key summit starting on Thursday.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!

Bulgaria in EU » Be a reporter: Write and send your article

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria