A number of members of the committee did not consider it appropriate that a proposal not submitted in a formal written form should be discussed. Instead, it was decided that the Turkish proposal be discussed in EU General Affairs Council, scheduled for next week.

On Thursday, Turkey offered to open one port and one airport to Greek Cypriot traffic in return for the opening of the Ercan airport in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot port of Magusa to direct international traffic.

The Greek Cypriot administration has already said that it would not accept the proposal.
However, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on Friday that Turkey’s offer to open a major port to traffic from Greek Cyprus was a step in the right direction.

“I don’t know the Turkish offer exactly because I have received nothing in writing, but we will analyse it and it seems to be going in the right direction,” Barroso said while addressing students at a business school outside of Paris.”It shows the Commission position was correct because the Turks have not left negotiations as some were fearing and the Turks have made a gesture which appears positive on the whole, so they have understood the message of Europe,” he said.

Last week, the EC recommended that part of Turkey’s accession negotiations be suspended in response to Ankara’s refusal to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot ships and planes.