German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday that the European Union could not ignore Turkey's refusal to change its stance over EU member Cyprus, and stressed that the outcome of Ankara's membership talks is «open., REPORTED AP. Merkel's comments at a conference of her Christian Democratic Union, which is skeptical about Turkish EU membership, came as the EU again failed to get Ankara to budge. The continuation of Turkey's EU entry talks hinges on its readiness to trade with the Greek-speaking part of Cyprus that joined the bloc in 2004. EU leaders are to make a decision on the future of the talks at a mid-December summit. «If Turkey does not keep to the Ankara Protocol _ and so more or less does not accept Cyprus _ there cannot be a simple 'let's carry on as we are' in the negotiations with Turkey,» Merkel said. Under the so-called Ankara Protocol, which Turkey signed, it agreed to extend its existing customs arrangements with the EU to 10 new members, including Cyprus. In opposition, Merkel and her conservative party called for a «privileged partnership» _ short of membership _ for the Turkey. Merkel now leads a coalition with the Social Democrats of predecessor Gerhard Schroeder, who favor EU membership for Turkey, and the government supports the membership talks. But on Monday, she made clear that her party's view is unchanged. «We are conducting negotiations with Turkey that are open in terms of results, she said. «But, as party chairwoman, I say that it is and was right to offer Turkey a privileged partnership with the European Union rather than full membership.»
