President Tassos Papadopoulos said Thursday that the European Commission recommendation to partially suspend Turkey's EU entry talks does not put enough pressure on Ankara.

"We are not satisfied with the decision because we believe it doesn't put any pressure on Turkey to comply with its obligations," he said in his first comments about the recommendation Wednesday from Brussels.

Turkey had agreed in July 2005 to open its ports and airports to 10 new EU member nations, including Cyprus, as part of conditions for starting membership talks with the European Union.

The EU opened entry talks with Turkey later that year, but Ankara since has refused to extend the customs pact to the Greek Cypriot-held portion of the divided island as demanded by the European Commission.

On Wednesday, after the EU failed to persuade Turkey to accept a compromise deal to resolve the Cyprus issue, the commission recommended that the EU freeze talks on eight of 35 policy areas in Turkey's accession negotiations.

EU leaders will decide whether to adopt the recommendation at a Dec. 14-15 summit in Brussels.

Papadopoulos said the EU should give Turkey a firm time frame for fulfilling its obligations.

"Effective pressure ... can't exist without a time frame for reassessing Turkey's stance so as to convince Turkey that it should comply or suffer other or further sanctions," he said.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a conference on Cyprus' possible adoption of the euro currency.

"Everybody wants a strong message to be given to Turkey. A message is given, (but) it's not strong," Papadopoulos said.

Cyprus has been divided since Turkey invaded the northern part of the island in 1974, anticipating an attempt by Greek speakers to forge a union with Greece.

The Greek Cypriot government in the south is internationally recognized but the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in the north is recognized only by Ankara and has been under a crippling international embargo for years.

The Associated Press