Austria obstructs EU Turkey talks

Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schussel is blocking an EU deal on Turkey – by insisting that the ‘negotiating mandate’ with Ankara should spell out the option of less than full membership.

EU–Turkey negotiations are currently ‘open-ended’ but work to the ultimate goal of full membership.

Vienna argues that Brussels should provide a ‘privileged partnership’ option if Turkey fails to make the grade.

“We need an alternative that would ensure Turkey would remain bonded as strongly as possible to the EU,” Schussel told FT Europe.

Ankara has explicitly rejected this proposal, vowing to walk away if offered a second class deal.

“Turkey will not accept anything that falls short of full EU membership,” a Turkish foreign ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

Turkey – Croatia links

Schussel has also accused the EU of being guilty of “double standards” over Croatia.

In a categorical message to Turkey on Wednesday, Schussel increased the possibility that accession talks with Ankara will only commence if the EU also moves to negotiations with Croatia.

Zagreb’s membership talks are stalled until the handing over of an army general to war crimes investigators.

Schussel's calls echo those of Europe’s Christian Democrat leader, Hans-Gert Poettering, who told Wednesday’s rowdy parliamentary plenary session in Strasbourg that the EU was unfairly hostile to Zagreb.

“Everyone shut their eyes on the human rights issue in Turkey while Croatia was to be refused the start of negotiations because a single general - one who was plainly not even in Croatia - had not yet been delivered up to the Hague Tribunal,” he declared.

Many EU diplomats are concerned that a rapid deal with Croatia could set back efforts to find war criminals in the former Yugoslavia, particularly in Serbia.

Emergency debate

The EU's Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) is scheduled to meet on 29 September in an attempt to finalise the negotiating framework on Turkey.

But if Austria remains unconvinced  following the Thursday meeting, the dispute could be forced into an emergency meeting of foreign ministers on Sunday night – just hours before Turkey talks are due to start.

"We could end up with Gul sitting with his suitcase at Ankara Airport waiting for word on the final language of the negotiating mandate. That would be very humiliating for the Turks and get the talks off to the worst possible start," one EU diplomat warned.

Mounting opposition

The Austrians currently sit isolated at the diplomatic table, with Cyprus, Greece and France having accepted a deal on the other key issue that had clouded the planned October 3 start of accession negotiations - Turkey's refusal to recognise Cyprus.

But Vienna’s stance reflects growing public opposition to Turkish membership in much of Western Europe.

Turkey is concerned that an alternative to full membership will quickly become the only option as attitudes to harden.

French Interior Minister and possible Presidential candidate, Nicholas Sarkozy held a conference in Paris last week - insisting on ‘privileged partnership’ for Ankara.

He has also vowed to make Turkey's EU bid a major election-campaigning tool for the 2007 French presidential elections.

Germany’s leadership contender Angela Merkel has not disguised her hostility towards full Turkish membership and her arrival would undoubtedly buttress the privileged partnership campaign. 
 

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