EU sets deadline for Turkey to open ports to Cyprus

BRUSSELS — The European Commission on Wednesday set a mid-December deadline for Turkey to open its ports to shipping from Cyprus or risk a new setback for its troubled bid to join the European Union.

The government in Ankara said it would not back down on Cyprus -- to do so could anger voters before next year’s general election -- and said it would hold the EU responsible for any breakdown in talks.

The EU executive body issued a critical progress report on Turkey’s candidacy, faulting the nation on freedom of expression and religion and on minority rights, amid growing public skepticism in the 25-member bloc about further expansion.

European doubts center on Turkey, a sprawling, poor, overwhelmingly Muslim nation of 73 million on the southeastern fringe of Europe.

In the report, the EU demanded the repeal or amendment of a key article of the penal code used to prosecute writers and intellectuals for “insulting Turkishness.”

It also sought greater efforts to strengthen religious freedom; the rights of women, minorities and trade unions; and civilian control of the military. And it urged Ankara to address social and economic problems in Turkey’s largely Kurdish southeast.

“Failure to implement its obligations in full will affect the overall progress in the negotiations,” the report says.

The commission said it would make “relevant recommendations” before a Dec. 14-15 summit of the 25 EU leaders if Turkey did not comply. Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn declined to say whether that might entail a suspension of the talks.

Turkey responded that the Cyprus issue was “not an obligation in the context of our accession process,” and said EU leaders had to live up to promises to the nation to ensure it had a fair chance of membership.

“At this juncture, the responsibility lies more on the EU than on Turkey,” a statement issued by Ankara said.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara would never budge on the ports unless the EU ended the economic isolation of Turkish northern Cyprus.

Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 in response to a coup by Greek Cypriots seeking union with Greece. It does not recognize the Greek Cypriot government that represents the divided island in the EU, but does back a Turkish Cypriot republic in northern Cyprus, which is shunned by the international community.