"Turks talk tough on Cyprus
Turkey's European Union membership bid is the hot topic today at a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers in Wales. Britain's Jack Straw is chairing the negotiations and was seemingly optimistic despite hard talk from Ankara warning that it will abandon its EU aspirations if it is asked to make more concessions. Before the meeting Straw said everything was going to plan; 'What we are discussing is what we've got to do, the very clear undertakings given by the European council at a summit last December and again this June, to lead to an opening of negotiations on October 3rd. I'll say that I am reasonably hopeful that this deadline can be achieved.'
Turkey has been ratchetting up the tension with the EU on the talks.
Yesterday it claimed it would not open its ports and airports to ships and planes from EU member Cyprus in an apparent breach of its EU customs pact. Today Ankara defiantly stated it would not accept anything that fell short of full membership of the bloc. "
More:EuroNews-Turks talk tough on Cyprus