Turkey-Cyprus Stalemate

"What Turkey has said is not enough and of course the Union will make the decision how to continue the negotiation process with Turkey," said Vanhanen, whose country holds the EU presidency until the end of the month.

Progress in Turkey's membership talks with the EU has been threatened by its refusal to open its harbors and airports to Greek Cypriot craft, which it is obliged to do so under a customs accord with the 25-country bloc.

Turkish offer throws EU into confusion

Vanhanen delivered his verdict after ambassadors of the EU member states ended talks in Brussels Friday without agreement on Turkey's offer, national officials said. "Several members wanted the offer written down," said an EU source.

The Turkish proposal involved opening a Mediterranean port to vessels from EU member Cyprus, and possibly an airport, for a trial period of one year. A senior Turkish official said Ankara would expect a solution to the 32-year division of the island of Cyprus during that 12-month period.

However, there was confusion over whether there were strings attached, or how close the proposal was to addressing its commitments under the "Ankara Protocol" accord.

"It does not mean the full implementation of the Ankara Protocol but I feel that it is very positive," Vanhanen told reporters in Brussels during a video conference, adding that he hoped it is a step toward compliance.

Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, in Brussels for separate meetings, said there was no "conditionality" attached to the Turkish proposal.

But he failed to clear up the confusion. "It is a package in order to promote cooperation and to promote common understanding and by that way resolving the resolution of the Cyprus problem," he told reporters as the talks were underway.

EU unsure of real nature of concession

"The real question is to know to what extent it's completely or partially conditional," said one European source. "The Turks have made this proposition, as usual, behind a great smokescreen. Now we have to clear the fog."

Until now, Turkey has refused to open its harbors and ports to Cyprus until the EU keeps its promise to ease the international isolation of the divided island's Turkish community, a tiny state recognized only by Ankara.

Ankara accuses Nicosia of using its membership to snag Turkey's accession bid and extract concessions in the Cyprus dispute.

Cyprus, which like all EU members wields veto powers, swiftly rejected Turkey's new initiative as a "mockery."

To complicate matters further, Turkey's army chief General Yasar Buyukanit criticized his government's offer in comments published Friday.

Turkey's army has been accused by the EU in the past of meddling in politics, but there has been no sign of military opposition to Turkish foreign policy for many years.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops occupied the island's northern third following a Greek Cypriot coup in Nicosia seeking union with Greece.

Turkey question likely to dominate next summit

The European Commission recommended last week that Turkey's accession process be slowed down by freezing eight of the 35 negotiating chapters that countries have to complete before they join Europe's rich club.

EU foreign ministers are to discuss that recommendation in Brussels on Monday. If they fail to make a decision, the bloc's leaders will take up the issue at a summit that starts on Thursday.

No one, above all the current Finnish presidency, is keen to see the issue dominate the summit on December 14-15, as opinions vary widely about whether the vast mainly-Muslim but secular country should, or indeed can, be integrated.