Turkey's EU Talks Should Continue, Says Head of European Commission

PanARMENIAN.Net - European Union membership negotiations with Turkey should continue despite last month's partial freeze in talks on December of 2006, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and Italian Premier Romano Prodi said on Monday. In Barroso's words, in order to gain full membership Ankara must comply with all conditions and criteria imposed by the European Union. Romano Prodi also said Italy's position on the issue is "identical" to the commission's, The Associated Press reports.



It's worth reminding that talks between Turkey and Ankara were frozen on 8 of 35 subjects because of Ankara's refusal to open its ports and airports for Cyprus. Turkey disputes the Greek Cypriot claim to represent the whole island under the name of the "Republic of Cyprus" and officially only recognizes the Turkish Cypriot State.