Turkish Press: EU inches towards historic decison on Turkey
12-16-2004, 20h58
BRUSSELS (AFP) - EU leaders were locked in closed-door negotiations over Turkey's bid to join the European bloc, inching towards a landmark accord to start membership talks with Ankara late next year.
European Union chiefs were in particular pressing Ankara to recognize Cyprus, a key sticking point in the way of a deal to give the vast Muslim country a green light after more than four decades of waiting.
In a fresh sign of hopes for a breakthrough, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan forecast that a compromise would be found by the end of the two-day summit Friday.
But he notably dismissed one report that Turkey could recognize Cyprus at the moment it starts EU negotiations.
"This is not true, it's all rumours, all of this will become clear once ... the text is finalised," he told reporters in Brussels, as EU leaders haggled over dinner.
"We will never take a step that does not fit in with our national interests," he added.
The EU leaders are widely expected to agree a date to start talks, probably in the second half of 2005. One diplomat said they would start in mid-October, but the EU's Dutch presidency said it could not confirm it.
At the start of the summit European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso said it was "time for Europe to say 'yes' to Turkey ... but it's also time for Turkey to 'yes' to Europe."
But the country's detractors, led by Austria, have maintained their doubts over the 25-nation bloc's ability to absorb a huge, impoverished country with one foot in Asia.
Taking in Turkey, a vast predominantly Muslim nation, would stretch the EU from the rainy shores of western Ireland to the borders of Iraq and Syria and necessitate a redefinition of the very concept of Europe.
Barroso was clear: "Our vision for Turkey is clear: we are not looking for some kind of half-way house or mid-way deal," he said. "If we should start negotiations with Turkey, it should be with full European membership in mind."
The most pro-Turkey EU states -- including Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain -- argue that it is a strategic priority as a bridge to the Muslim world.
But a hard core of sceptics including Austria, Cyprus and Denmark say that Turkey, a country of nearly 71 million people, is simply too big, too different and too poor to join.
They have called for Ankara to be offered a "privileged partnership" as an alternative to full EU membership, should negotiations fail.
The Cyprus issue has become one of the biggest stumbling blocks to Turkey's hopes of seeing its four-decade drive to be embraced into the European fold reach fruition.
Although Cyprus joined the EU in May, Turkey still refuses to recognise its government, recognising instead only the Turkish Cypriot northern third of the divided island.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana bluntly warned Ankara what was at stake.
"If you want to be part of a family you have to recognize all the members of the family .... without that it's difficult to be part of the family," he told reporters.
A little later Erdogan, speaking soon after talks with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, suggested a deal was at hand.
"It will be resolved at one" o'clock, Erdogan told reporters in an apparent reference to the scheduled end of the summit Friday.
While agreeing a date for the start of talks, the European leaders were also to hammer out a series of conditions attached to Turkey's EU bid that would be unprecedented for a membership candidate.
The negotiations will last for at least 10 years, they could be suspended in case of serious problems, and membership is not ultimately guaranteed, draft summit conclusions say.
A spokesman for British Prime Minister Tony Blair voiced cautious optimism as the evening wore on.
"We are travelling in hope, but not in certainty," he told reporters. "We believe a deal for the start of negotiations next year is achievable, but we don't know whether it will be achieved at this stage."
