The Greek part of Cyprus, an EU member recognized as the sole representative of the island despite the existence of a Turkish Cypriot community, has been using its veto card within the union to hinder any Turkish efforts to move closer to the EU, European defense affairs included.
In return, Turkey has been blocking joint NATO-EU peacekeeping missions and rejects Greek Cypriot participation in peacekeeping missions since agreements that govern NATO-EU military cooperation at times of peacekeeping operations exclude Cyprus.
Turkey's accession talks with the EU were also blocked when Ankara refused to conform with the Ankara Protocol, under which it has to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriots.
In the meantime, Turkey's exclusion from the decision-making process of the EU during consultations for peacekeeping missions runs contrary to the Nice Treaty, which deals with the involvement of non-EU European allies within the ESDP and is officially known as the Nice Implementation Document (NID). It was adopted by the EU Council in October 2002. NID foresees, among other things, peacetime consultations on a permanent basis covering a full range of security issues.
Concerning the modalities for the participation in EU-led operations, the principle of intensified consultations with non-EU allies such as Turkey before making an EU decision about the proper way of addressing a crisis was not implemented.
Turkey was therefore not consulted prior to EUJUST THEMIS in Georgia and EUJUST LEX in Iraq. “Despite our geographic proximity, the same lack of consultations repeated themselves in the case of EUPOL COPPS in the Middle East and EUBAM in Rafah,” Turkish diplomats said.
Now that Sweden will begin the term presidency of the EU for six months as of July, to be followed by Spain until July 2010, Turkey has accelerated lobbying efforts to gain its rights as foreseen in the Nice Treaty concerning its participation in the decision-making process prior to peacekeeping operations.
Turkey believes that because Sweden and Spain appear to be warmer to the Turkish position on EU affairs in general, it may gain its right as envisaged in the Nice Treaty during their term presidency.
To gain support for its position, Ankara on May 18 hosted a joint conference of the Brussels-based European Institute for Security Studies and the Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) in which several active European military officers as well as civilians took part.
After several years of negotiations, Turkey and NATO members, the majority of which are also EU members, signed a declaration in December 2002 on the ESDP that has enabled the use of NATO assets and capabilities by the EU as part of ESDP operations, known as the Berlin Plus arrangements.
This became possible under the Ankara Agreement of 2001, which stipulates that Turkey will automatically participate in EU-led military operations if NATO assets and capabilities are used. At the time of the agreement, the Greek Cypriot administration was not a member of the EU; it joined in 2004.
Under the Swedish and Spanish term presidency, Turkey may be able to get support to exercise the rights granted by the Nice Treaty. But, the ups and downs in relations with the EU as a whole will continue until Ankara concentrates again on its long-neglected democratic reforms.
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