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European Union (EU) foreign ministers agreed on Monday to partially freeze accession talks with Turkey as Ankara still refuses to normalize trade with Cyprus, an EU member.

The EU foreign ministers agreed unanimously that eight of the 35 chapters of the negotiations will be frozen. The rest of the chapter can go ahead, but shall not be concluded until Turkey opens its seaports and airports to Cypriot traffic.

The eight chapters to be frozen are free movement, finance, agriculture, fishery, transport, customs, foreign policy and services trade.

The ministers agreed, however, that the eight chapters can be unfrozen once the conditions are met.

"I am sorry to disappoint you: there will be no train crash. The train is in fact still firmly on the track," British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett told reporters after a day of closed-door meeting.

Britain, a supporter of Turkey, reportedly wanted three chapters to be frozen. But countries like Austria wanted more.

Under a customs union agreement between Ankara and the 25-member union, Turkey is obliged to open trade with Cyprus, which joined the EU in 2004, by the end of 2006.
 
Turkey insists that the EU must lift its restrictions on Turkish Cyprus before it allows Greek Cyprus to use its seaports and airports.

Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkey militarily intervened and occupied the north of Cyprus following a coup on the island by some Greek military officers.

In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot authorities declared the birth of "the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which is recognized only by Turkey.

Turkey offered earlier this month that it first opens one seaport and one airport. But the offer was rejected by Cyprus, Greece and some other member states.

The EU and Turkey opened accession talks in October 2005.

(Xinhua News Agency December 12, 2006)