Turkey cried foul today after the European Commission proposed a partial suspension of its talks on joining the EU as a punishment for Ankara’s refusal to open up trade with Cyprus.

Eight of the 35 areas of negotiation were frozen until Turkey fulfilled an agreement signed last year to open its ports to Cyprus, an EU member state which it still refuses to recognise.

The proposal further slows the faltering progress of talks opened last year on admitting Turkey to the 27-member EU after setbacks over the pace of internal reform and growing signs that leading EU nations like Germany and France are going cold on the whole idea.

The number of so-called chapters suspended was higher than that thought necessary by Britain, which was among several nations concerned that the wrong signal could damage public opinion in Turkey and drive it away from the EU for ever.

But France was among those pushing for many more chapters to be blocked. The Commission chose a number somewhere in the middle, insisting that its decision was based on a legal analysis.

As part of the punishment, talks on other areas of the accession process will not be able to be signed off until Turkey resolves its long-standing blockade of Cypriot vessels.

Hearing of the decision announced in Brussels while he was in Latvia for the Nato summit, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish Prime Minister, said: "Such a decision is unacceptable."

Turkey argues that it only agreed to reach agreement on Cyprus because it expected completion of a 2004 EU proposal to open up direct trade routes for Turkish Northern Cyprus. This, however, remains blocked by Greece.

The final penalty for Turkey will be agreed next month, either by foreign ministers on December 11 or heads of government later that week.

Olli Rehn, the EU enlargement commissioner, who has previously warned of an impending "train crash" in Turkey’s EU talks, said that the train would slow down but not stop.

"Failure to meet legal obligations cannot remain without consequences," Mr Rehn said.

He added that there was still time for Turkey to resolve the standoff over Cyprus and avoid a firm EU decision to freeze the negotiations.

Using the football analogy of extra time, he added that "Turkey can still score a golden goal" before the foreign ministers meeting.

"It is in the interests of the EU and Turkey to keep the accession process alive. Europe needs a stable and democratic Turkey and Turkey needs Europe both politically and economically."

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