Finnish Prime Minister Vanhanen visited Turkey on 17 May 2006 - coinciding with protests after a judge had been killed in an attack of religious fanatics on the country's highest administrative court. He visited the mausoleum of the founder of the laical Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and gave a joint press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "My own attitude [towards Turkey's possible EU membership] has become more positive. I can understand better and better the significance of the politically stabilising effect that membership would have," said Vanhanen to the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. .
Vanhanen and Erdogan also debated the deadlock over Turkey's relations to Cyprus. Turkey has not acknowledged the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member state, and Erdogan said it will not do so before the EU lifts its trade embargo on the 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus', which is recognized by Turkey only. Vanhanen insisted that the EU cannot accept any such linkage by Turkey and that Turkey must ratify a customs agreement, which would open Turkish airports and harbours to the Republic of Cyprus, before the country can join the EU.
On 18 May, Vanhanen visited the Croatian capital of Zagreb, where he met for talks with Prime Minister Ivo Sanader. The Croatian PM expressed fears that a possible slowing down of membership talks with Turkey would also move Croatia's membership perspective into a further-away future. Vanhanen contradicted this notion, insisting that Croatia's membership bid would be taken into consideration based merely on the country's own behaviour. "Finland will continue to support EU enlargement", Vanhanen said, adding: "The EU has to hold on to promises given, and Croatia will become a member as soon as it fulfills the criteria."
The Finnish EU Presidency will start on 1 July 2006.
