This is an article from today's edition of Hurriyet:

"Turkey has offered to open two seaports temporarily and unconditionally to EU member Cyprus - but would open a Turkish airport only in return for trade to the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state, a TV report said Thursday.


Ankara proposed opening one of its airport to Greek Cypriots - if the Turkish Cypriot airport of Ercan, near the divided capital of Nicosia, is opened to international traffic, CNN-Turk television said in a report from Brussels, Belgium. The offer apparently is aimed at averting a partial freeze of Turkeys EU entry talks.

EU chief welcomes Turkey

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso called Turkeys offer to open some ports and airports to Cyprus "an important step" toward breaking a deadlock entry talks - but the move immediately tore open a rift among EU member nations.

Turkey, in a last-ditch bid to avert a partial suspension of EU membership talks, reportedly proposed opening some of its ports to Greek Cypriot goods on the condition that the EU end its economic isolation of Turkish Cypriots. Ambassadors from the 25 EU nations were reviewing the offer Thursday.

"If that move can be duly confirmed, I think its certainly an important step toward" implementing a deal to extend an EU-Turkey customs union pact to include Cyprus, Barroso told reporters. "I certainly welcome that initiative."

But Greece, Cyprus closest ally, warned that opening some - but not all - of Turkeys ports to Cyprus was not enough, and EU officials said privately that they looked to Turkey to "fully implement" the customs pact, meaning all ports should be opened to Cyprus.

In an apparent hardening of its stance, Athens said the EU must send Ankara "a strong message" for refusing to fully comply with its promises to the bloc, reaction that indicated the issue will continue to divide the EU in the runup to a key Dec. 14-15 summit of government leaders.

EU leaders could decide at the summit to partially suspend EU membership talks with Turkey.

Britain, Spain and Sweden have indicated such a move was too harsh and would damage ties with Ankara. But France, Cyprus and Greece are demanding a harder line against Turkey. They have blocked negotiations with Ankara since September in protest over the countrys refusal to extend an EU customs union pact to Cyprus.

Turkey signed a customs pact in 2005 to open its ports and airports to 10 new EU members.

But it has refused to receive goods from Cyprus, which remains divided between the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government in the south and the diplomatically isolated Turkish Cypriot-run regime in the north.

Turkish news reports said Ankara has proposed opening one port and one airport to Greek Cypriot goods - on the condition that the Turkish Cypriot airport of Ercan, near the divided capital of Nicosia, is opened to international traffic.

Turkey also is calling for the opening of the port of Famagusta in the Turkish Cypriot north of the island, reports said.

Barroso said the European Commission stood ready to end the embargo on Turkish Cypriot-held northern Cyprus.

"We are still a long way from an ideal situation but we are very much in favor of breaking the isolation in the northern part of Cyprus," he said.

However, it was not clear whether the offer meets EU demands that Turkey open its ports to Cyprus or face a partial suspension of the membership negotiations that began in October 2005.

If the deal meets all conditions, EU nations were likely to drop their threat of slowing down the membership negotiations, diplomats said.

"Turkey appears to be cautiously prepared to make a concession" to end the standoff on Cyprus, Germanys Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in Berlin.

Two weeks ago, Finland, which holds the rotating EU presidency, offered to reduce restrictions on the Turkish Cypriots if Turkey opens its ports to the Greek Cypriots. The plan would grant the northern Cyprus seaport of Famagusta free trade with the EU if the Turkish side hands over control of the nearby abandoned town of Varosha. Ankara rejected the proposal.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded following a failed coup staged by supporters of union with Greece. Ankara is the only government to recognize the Turkish Cypriot state."