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Turkey vows more EU reforms

Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:43 AM GMT

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey vowed on Wednesday that 2007 would not be a "lost year" for its relations with the European Union, despite an EU decision to suspend its entry talks in eight policy areas over the Cyprus dispute.

The EU last month decided to partially freeze talks after Ankara refused to open its ports and airports to traffic from EU member Cyprus, a country Turkey does not recognise.

"The government will continue to follow the path of reform and will submit its reforms to parliament during 2007... 2007 will not be a lost year for Turkey," Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told a televised meeting of senior officials.

"Turkey needs the reforms. They are necessary to raise the living standards of our people," Gul said.

Some analysts have said they expect the government to avoid any difficult political and economic reforms ahead of general elections set for November.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's ruling centre-right AK Party is expected to win re-election but may face a strong challenge from nationalists keen to exploit growing voter disillusion with the EU, seen here as biased against Turkey.

Turkish officials are now preparing a new roadmap for its relations with the EU lasting until 2013.

Ankara, which began EU entry talks in October 2005, must bring its laws into harmony with those of the Union in 35 "chapters" or policy areas before it can join. The talks are expected to last many years.

Turkey says it will open its ports and airports to Cyprus only if the EU makes good on promises to lift all EU trade restrictions against the breakaway Turkish Cypriots in the north of the divided Mediterranean island.

Cyprus has been split on ethnic lines since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a brief Greek Cypriot coup backed by the military junta then ruling Greece. Turkey still keeps around 35,000 troops in northern Cyprus.