Emergency talks aimed at breaking the deadlock over Turkey’s refusal to recognise Cyprus were abandoned today in a further blow to Ankara’s application to join the European Union.

Diplomats said that Turkey declined to attend the proposed discussions in Helsinki on Sunday when it heard that Greece would not be present and feared a one-sided discussion.

The Finns, holders of the EU’s rotating presidency, will instead meet the leader of Turkish Northern Cyprus in Brussels today but there is little hope of a breakthrough before an annual report on Turkey’s progress towards EU membership on Wednesday.

This is expected to condemn Ankara’s failure to open its ports to Cypriot vessels, as agreed when it began accession talks in earnest last year, and could lead to the suspension of the process.

A leaked draft of the report contained criticism of Turkey’s failure to end torture and the harassment of writers but the Cyprus issue will have the most immediate impact.

As a member of the EU, Cyprus has the power to veto Turkish attempts to meet EU accession criteria and together with Greece it has already forced the postponement of formal talks on the industrial policy chapter.

The Finns had hoped to overcome Turkey’s blockade of Cypriot vessels by a compromise under which it would open some ports while Northern Cyprus could trade with the EU through its port of Famagusta, ending the international isolation of the Turkish-controlled north.

Control of Varosha, a so-called ghost town deserted by Greek Cypriots after the Turkish invasion in 1974, would have been transferred to the United Nations as part of the deal.

Abdullah Gul, the Turkish Foreign Minister, suggested that he Finns could begin shuttle diplomacy instead of trying to convene round table talks.

“Finland has struggled in good faith but unfortunately they could not create an atmosphere in which such a positive step could be taken because the groups invited did not want to take part,” he said.

Costas Karamanlis, the Greek Prime Minister, further soured the atmosphere today when he made his strongest criticism of Turkey’s accession progress. “The truth is that, so far, Turkey has not taken basic and necessary steps on ... its obligations regarding the European Union,” he said.

He said that the European Commission’s report on Wednesday should clearly set out Ankara’s failure to respect religious and minority freedoms, to improve relations with Greece and to recognise Cyprus.

While insisting that Greece backed Turkey’s accession ambitions, “we cannot pretend to see success and progress where there is none,” he said.

“If Turkey really wants to join Europe, it must understand that it has made certain commitments. Refusal to carry out the necessary reforms ... cannot last forever.”

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