EU says deadline for Turkey/Cyprus deal is Dec 6

HELSINKI, Nov 20 (Reuters) European Union president Finland said today the deadline for a deal on trade with Cyprus to avoid a setback in Turkey's EU membership bid is before Dec. 6, when the European Commission meets.

Raising pressure on Ankara to accept a formula for opening Turkish ports to shipping from Cyprus, Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said he expected the EU executive to put forward recommendations in the first week of December and EU foreign ministers to take a decision on December 11.

''The real deadline is before the Commission presents its recommendations,'' Vanhanen said in a speech.

Finland's proposal is intended to allow direct trade with northern Cyprus and open Turkish ports and airports to Cypriot vessels and planes.

But Turkey has said it will only move on opening its ports if the EU acts to end the economic isolation of Turkish Cypriot northern Cyprus.

Diplomats expect a push on the issue when Finland hosts a meeting early next week of EU and Mediterranean foreign ministers, including Turkey's Abdullah Gul.

Vanhanen said he had no intention of allowing the Turkey issue to go to an EU summit on Decembe 14-15. Decisions would be made before then.

In a warning to Ankara, he said: ''If there is no agreement and Turkey does not honour its commitments, the EU will need to consider the implications for the accession process. This is not a good scenario and it would mean an uncertain future.'' Vanhanen said all the parties were willing to negotiate.

''No one has come up with an alternative solution or said that our proposal is unacceptable. We are all on the same page.

Therefore the presidency still believes that a solution is possible.'' Possible repercussions for Turkey if it fails to open its ports range from partial suspension of talks on joining the EU to a freeze in negotiations.

Vanhanen said the Finnish plan contained a limited number of proposals, and it was still up to the United Nations to try to reach a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was to meet Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat in Geneva today, after the world body proposed last week that there should be a gradual build-up of talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots to try to ease deadlock between them.

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