EU to seek partial freeze in Turkey talks

The source said the recommendation had been brought forward by one week from December 6 in an effort to avoid leaks after talks brokered by the EU's Finnish presidency on the Cyprus trade issue failed on Monday.

EU foreign ministers will take the decision at a December 11 meeting.

The source said a special meeting of top Commission officials discussed a proposal to suspend between six and nine of the 35 "chapters" or policy areas into which the negotiations are divided.

Those are sectors that concern the EU's internal market, transport and maritime affairs, the source said.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry had no immediate comment.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn hinted at an early decision at a dinner on Tuesday at which he was named "Commissioner of the Year" by the weekly newspaper European Voice.

In his acceptance speech, Rehn joked that the panel might not have picked him if the ceremony had taken place a day later -- after he announces the recommendation on Turkey at a news conference, a participant said.

EU leaders have made clear they could not continue "business as usual" with Turkey if it failed to meet a treaty obligation to open its ports and airports to traffic from Cyprus this year.

The likely setback for Turkey, a compromise between Ankara's supporters who want to limit the damage and hardliners who wanted the whole process suspended, comes just after it received a boost from an unexpected quarter -- Pope Benedict.

On a visit to Ankara on Tuesday, the first since he became pontiff this year, Benedict told Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan "We are not political but we wish for Turkey to join the EU," according to the Turkish leader. Reuters