"Comment - Turkey�s haggling more suited to market than EU
By Myria Andoniadou
DURING last December�s EU summit, when Turkey was given a date by which accession talks would start, European leaders were surprised with Ankara�s haggling tactics. The Turkish Prime Minister, some said, bargained like a carpet dealer in a market.
This approach has not changed, especially with regard to Cyprus, which is, admittedly, Turkey�s most thorny issue with serious political repercussions.
The Erdogan government�s handling of the Protocol extending the so-called Ankara Agreement, setting the terms for the EU-Turkey customs union, is an obvious example.
An issue that has also become more than a headache to the Commission as the date for its initialising and signing is constantly extended.
European sources had told the Cyprus Mail that the EU�s executive expected it to be initialised by the end of February or mid-March, as an internal procedure follows (Council and Parliament approval). Today, some put that date at June, with signatures following in September."
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