Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-10-04

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Greece welcomes formal commencement of EU accession talks with Turkey as 'historic moment'

[01] Greece welcomes formal commencement of EU accession talks with Turkey as 'historic moment'

Austria had demanded that Turkey be offered a 'privileged partner' status as an explicit alternative to full membership.

Under EU regulations, membership negotiations are divided into 35 sections or policy areas, known as chapters, which Turkey must implement into national law before it is considered ready for membership. Each of the chapters require unanimity from all 25 member states to be declared 'closed' (fulfilled). The membership negotiations and process of harmonisation, which must be completed for EU membership to be granted, are expected to take a decade.

Immediately after the British EU presidency announced that agreement on the negotiating mandate had been reached, Turkish foreign minister Abdullah Gul departed for Luxembourg to take part in the opening ceremony marking the formal launch of Turkey's EU accession negotiations, where he was met outside the Council of Ministers building by British foreign secretary and chairman of the Council of Ministers Jack Straw, and EU High Commissioner for foreign policy and security Javier Solana.

Greece's foreign minister Petros Molyviatis described the achievement of agreement for the commencement of Turkey's accession negotiations with the EU as a "historic moment", speaking to reporters in Luxembourg.

Molyviatis said this agreement was the result of a long and difficult proces, adding that Greece and Cyprus have succeeded in fully safeguarding all their pursuits on the basis of legally binding and institutional texts.

The foreign minister added that a new era is beginning in relations between Greece and Turkey, an era of "peace and stability" which shall benefit both the Greek and Turkish people.

He also called the agreement "historic", as it determined the future of Turkey and Europe, and Europe's relations with Turkey, but also "forges the future of Turkey's relations with Greece and Cyprus, and with the entire region"..."an agreement that, not immediately, but along the way, will alter the bad past and bad name of our region".

"It is a the springboard for a new era. We are setting the foundations -- which are firm and irrevocable -- upon which our relationship with Turkey will proceed from here on, but also Turkey's relationship with the entire region," he said.

Molyviatis further said that Greece's strategic target is to transform "iour neighbourhood" into a region of peace, democracy, prosperity, security and stability. This can only be achieved through the European path. Consequently, he said, Greece desires the accession of all the Balkan countries and of Turkey to the EU. "This is a great vision, and it may not be achieved today or tomorrow, but we have set down the foundation so that it can begin to be attained," he stressed.

As regards a statement by the British Presidency on paragraph 7 (formerly paragraph 5) of the negotiating mandate, the foreign minister termed the statement as purely interpretorial and having no legal impact. In parallel, however, he said that from now on Turkey will not be able to prevent the participation of Cyprus in the European Defence and Security Policy as well, without this having consequences for its course towards a united Europe.

Lastly, the foreign minister expressed satisfaction over progress being achieved regarding Croatia's course towards the EU.

Greek political party reactions

The commencement of Turkey's accession negotiations was met with mixed reactions in Athens.

Main opposition PASOK party foreign policy, security and defence sector chief Christos Papoutsis hailed the agreement reached on the beginning of accesion negotiations between the European Union and Turkey.

"The European Union took a decision of historic importance today. Turkey's European course will be a long course of reforms, changes and adjustments to the acquis communautaire, which will lead to the family of the peoples of Europe on the basis of the principles and values of peace, democracy, solidarity, joint security and prosperity," he said.

"We supported and we support the accession prospect of Turkey, believing that it can contribute decisively to democratisation, relations of good neighbourliness, friendship and cooperation and to joint efforts for economic development and social progress," he added.

He criticised the Greek government, however, of "surrendering the negotiating weapons" from early on in the process, thus "depriving Greece of a major opportunity to consolidate our national interests...an opportunity that other member states fully took advantage of for their own interests, waging the negotiations battle up until the last minute".

Papoutsis further said "we call on the government of Mr. Karamanlis to explain to the Greek people for which reasons specific and binding timetables and specific and strong security valves are not included in the negotiating framework between the European Union and Turkey, with which all issues of national interest for Greece and the Republic of Cyprus will be safeguarded".

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) said that the accession negotiations had commenced without prior recognition of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkey, and attributed heavy blame on "all those (political) parties that propagandized that the EUhas democratic principles and values".

A KKE press statement said that the developments proved that the "supposed principles of the EU are a myth".

It said that the issue of Cyprus was used to promote interests and aspirations. "It was the cover for the intensified endo-imperialistic conflicts".

The KKE said that the EU does not safeguard the Republic of Cyprus from the danger of partition advanced by the Annan plan.

It said that the only way for the peoples of Europe was common struggle for deep-rooted changes in each country, a unified struggle against the choices of the EU.

Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (SYN) president Alekos Alavanos said that a better deal could have been negotiated regarding the Cyprus issue referring to Turkey's European Union negotiation framework.

Alavanos expressed his disagreement with Austria's stance, saying that "the European Union is not just for Christians."

"The tremendous amount of bargaining that is going on today whether Turkey, after entry negotiations, will finally become an EU member state, shows that we could have done much better negotiating regarding the Cyprus issue," he added.

"Today we could have had a much shorter and binding timeframe so that Turkey, following the referenda on the [UN Secretary General Kofi] Annan plan, would accept a solution to the Cyprus issue based on the UN's principles and resolutions," Alavanos concluded.

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article