The most sticky issues, concerning disputes over the Aegean Sea and Cyprus, are at the epicenter of the negotiations because Turkey does not want the document to include them, whereas Greece wants them to be referred to explicitly. EU diplomats in Ankara have stated that the European Commission has been working on a formula in which Turkey would be asked to make certain reforms in the short and medium terms. Diplomatic sources state that there are no references to the Aegean and Cyprus disputes in either the short or medium terms, which angers the Greek side. Ankara wants the document not to involve the Aegean and Cyprus disputes because Turkish diplomats think that if there are references these will not help to solve the issues but will make them more complicated. Stressing that the EU should stay out of the disputes and support the resolution of problems through bilateral negotiations, Turkish diplomatic sources say if those disputes are eventually to be addressed, then the references should not exceed those of the Helsinki summit, which declared Turkey a candidate last December.
Turkey categorically rejects renegotiation of the Helsinki document.
EU diplomats commented that there were numerous references to November 8, when the Accession Partnership Document draft will be made public, but they stress that the final document will be endorsed by the EU General Affairs Committee on November 20. That means that member countries will go through the document and may make some suggestions in the meantime, which may eventually change some parts of the document. Diplomatic sources say the document being prepared by the commission could please Turkey. But, it is a fact that Greece will certainly make some suggestions between the draft's being made public and when it becomes the final and official text. Greece wants a binding article in the document over the Aegean disputes and also wants the document to force Turkey to make a settlement on Cyprus that would please Athens.