Turkish EU membership can help West Asia peace-Blair

ANKARA, Dec 16 (Reuters) Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair underlined his support for Turkey's membership of the European Union today, saying the Muslim nation's strategic location could help to foster peace in the West Asia.

It was the first visit by a European leader to Turkey since accession negotiations were partially suspended over Turkey's refusal to open its ports and airports to traffic from Cyprus.

''The reason why it is so important we devote energy and commitment to the process of Turkish accession... is that it is not just important for Turkey itself but it is of fundamental importance to the future of Europe,'' Blair said in Ankara.

''Turkey is placed right between the West Asia and Europe and if we needed no other reminder of the strategic importance of Turkey to the EU it is what is happening in the West Asia today,'' he told a news conference with his Turkish counterpart.

Turkey, which is seeing strong economic growth, has been viewed as a bridge between the West and Islamic countries.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has pursued greater political ties with the West Asia, highlighted by his frequent visits to the region, including Iran and Syria. NATO-member Turkey is one of the few Muslim countries with close ties to Israel as well.

Some countries, including Britain, fear that the partial halt in membership talks will have long-lasting effects on Turkey's efforts to join the wealthy bloc.

Opinion polls show support for EU membership falling in Turkey, with many Turks suspicious that Europeans want to keep the 25-member bloc as a ''Christian club'' and are just using Cyprus as an excuse to keep them out.

Erdogan again criticised the decision by the EU, which is experiencing enlargement fatigue, to partly halt talks.

''The relationship with the EU dates back 40 years and unfortunately that relationship has been reduced to a secondary issue of opening the ports,'' Erdogan said.

BLAIR CALLS FOR OPENING CHAPTERS Cyprus, the Netherlands and France have frustrated a bid by EU president Finland and the European Commission to move forward in membership talks with Turkey before the year-end, diplomats said yesterday.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn called this week for the bloc to open the next chapter, which would be on economic and monetary policy, to prove the process was not stalled.

''I would like to urgently see this (opening a new chapter) happening, possibly under the Finnish presidency,'' Blair said.

He urged Ankara to open traffic to Cyprus but also said the EU should end the isolation of northern Cyprus. Blair said Britain was studying whether flights to northern Cyprus were lawful under international aviation rules.

Blair said he hoped South Korean Ban Ki-moon would relaunch effors to reunite the divided island of Cyprus once he takes over the UN leadership on January 1.

Cyprus has been split into an internationally recognised Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot north, recognised solely by Turkey, since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded the north to foil a coup seeking to unite the island with Greece.

REUTERS MS RAI1913