By Nicola Smith - 17th May 2004
UK Premier Tony Blair has staunchly defended Turkey’s application to join the EU and pledged to end the isolation of Northern Cyprus.
On a visit to Ankara, Blair hit out at critics of Turkey’s EU membership bid, saying that there could be no further barrier to its joining if Ankara met the conditions set by Brussels.
“If it complies with the Copenhagen criteria, there can be no other obstacles to Turkey’s membership of the EU,” said Blair, reported in the FT.
“Britain wants to see Turkey in the EU and support its membership,” he said, adding that Ankara had made “tremendous progress” in meeting a raft of economic, social and judicial reforms, known as the EU’s ‘Copenhagen’ criteria.
EU leaders will decide by the end of 2004 whether to open formal membership talks with Turkey on the basis of a European Commission assessment of its progress.
Blair’s clear endorsement of Turkey’s aim to join the EU club comes amid growing debate in some large member states, notably France and Germany, about Ankara’s suitability for membership.
French President Jacques Chirac, who faces significant opposition to Turkey’s bid from within his own centre-right UMP party, recently said that accession talks could take between ten and 15 years.
Calls have also be increasing from German opposition leaders for Turkey to be granted a “special status” rather than full membership.
Tony Blair also made clear on his visit that attempts to reach a final settlement for the divided island of Cyprus will not be derailed by the recent failure of Southern Cyprus to approve a reunification plan.
“We must act now to end the isolation of Northern Cyprus,” he said at a press conference after talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Blair called for speedy action to relax the EU trade embargoes imposed on the Turkish-controlled north and for the ban on direct flights between northern Cyprus and the UK to lifted.
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