BRUSSELS, Dec 15 (AFP) - The European Union expects Turkey to give implicit recognition of Cyprus` internationally backed government in return for an accord to open accession talks, a Dutch EU presidency source said Wednesday.
Turkey this week will have to show a commitment to sign an additional protocol to a 1963 accord with the EU`s forerunner, called the Ankara Agreement, to cover the bloc`s 10 new member states including Cyprus, he said.
"What is politically important is that Turkey is ready to sign the protocol," the presidency source told reporters on condition of anonymity, on the eve of an EU leaders` summit.
"Otherwise we will have a problem with Cyprus, that`s absolutely clear," he said.
"The importance is that there will be an agreement to sign the protocol to the Ankara Agreement, preferably on Friday."
But Friday may be too early for the signing given technical hurdles such as getting the protocol translated into all 20 official EU languages, the source said.
"But if not possible (on Friday), then as soon as we can get things done."
Nicosia confirmed that discussions over a compromise formula on the recognition issue by the Dutch presidency were continuing.
"Signing the protocol extending the Ankara Agreement is an obligation of Turkey`s towards the EU, and naturally all the member states including Cyprus," government spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides told reporters when asked about Dutch moves for Turkey to sign the protocol.
"It is a cause of satisfaction for the Cyprus Republic that the EU Commission`s progress report (on Turkey) in October and (the position) now, appears to request that Turkey meets this obligation," he added.
However, the spokesman would not be drawn on whether Turkey signing the protocol would represent a satisfactory "normalisation" of relations between Cyprus and Turkey.
"These answers will be given after the EU leaders` summit is completed," said Chrysostomides.
Cyprus has been divided along ethnic lines since 1974, when Turkish troops occupied the northern third of the island in response to a coup engineered by the then-ruling military junta in Athens to unite the country with Greece.
Only the Greek-Cypriot south has been able to enjoy the benefits of EU membership since the island joined the bloc on May 1, after Greek Cypriots rejected a UN blueprint to reunify Cyprus.
Turkey only recognises the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus declared in 1983, whose voters overwhelmingly backed the peace plan.
Ahead of the EU summit, Nicosia has not ruled out using the veto if Turkey does not show willingness to normalize relations as the price for agreeing to a start date for Ankara accession talks.
Agreement by all 25 EU member states is required before membership negotiations can begin.
But Turkey has rejected extra conditions such as recognition of Cyprus in return for winning its long-sought start to EU entry talks.
12/15/2004 17:57 GMT - AFP