Getting to do business with Turkey

Date: 22/12/05

Every country carries its own baggage going into the presidency chair and Austria is no different.

Three months after putting up fierce opposition to Turkey starting EU membership talks, Vienna now finds itself asked to play the role of neutral overseer for the negotiations themselves.

Although the so-called screening process - measuring Turkey's readiness to open all negotiating chapters - is not expected to be completed until months after Austria steps out of the chair, some 'easy' topics will be ready to tackle in the coming months - science and research, and education and culture among them.

For Ankara it is an anxious time. Although talks are expected to last the best part of a decade it is keen to press ahead and keen to see that Austria will be a fair arbiter of the process, despite previous obstructionism.

According to Bahadir Kaleagasi of the influential Turkish business association TÜSIAD, this tentative beginning of the process is vital.

"These are the pillars of the negotiation on which the following phases will rise," he said.

According to Kaleagasi, Austria can best display its goodwill by pursuing progress on the issue of Cyprus.

Some EUR 259 million in economic aid has been earmarked for Northern Cyprus since April 2004, but amid bickering between the Republic of Cyprus and other member states the self-styled republic has not seen a cent.

"If they can unblock the situation on Cyprus of course it is a major achievement," he said.

Article is part of a European Voice Special Report previewing the Austrian Presidency of the European Union, January - June 2006. Shortly after fiercely opposing the commencement of EU membership talks with Turkey, Austria must now play neutral overseer of the negotiations themselves.