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| Europe |
| EU, Turkey, reach agreement on starting talks |
| 2005-10-03 |
| The European Union governments agreed today to open membership talks with Turkey after Austria dropped a demand the bloc come to some form of partnership with Ankara that would be less than full-fledged participation, diplomats said. They said the deal was put to Ankara, amid hopes it will accept it and send Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to Luxembourg for a ceremony later Monday, formally opening the negotiations. The Turkish prime minister's spokesman denied reports by CNN-Turk and NTV television that Turkey had agreed to a proposed new document outlining conditions for starting membership talks. "Talks are continuing. There is no agreement yet," said Akif Beki, a spokesman for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "If the problems are overcome, then the foreign minister will go to Luxembourg." Gul had delayed his departure from Ankara, insisting his country cannot accept second-class citizen status in the EU. You're the dhimmis, not we. Austria had been resisting the bid by Turkey Diplomats said Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik had relented, accepting language in the negotiating rules that state unambiguously that "the shared objective of the negotiations is (Turkey's) accession." The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks. No specific details were released about the deal, reached after hours of arduous negotiations that began Sunday. Failure to start the membership talks would be seen as a serious blow to The issue of EU member Cyprus - which Turkey refuses to recognize - complicated matters. A French diplomat said Cyprus demanded stronger language in the negotiating mandate to ensure Turkey does not use international organizations to hinder Cyprus. The diplomat also spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks. In the past, Ankara has vetoed EU-NATO military exercises involving Cyprus, where Turkey props up a renegade Turkish Cypriot state that no other country recognizes. Cypriot officials denied they sought additional demands. Turkey belongs to NATO, the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development and the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe. But its shaky human rights and poor economic past have kept it from becoming a full EU member. In recent years, Turkey has implemented key political and economic reforms, and now wants the EU to make good on its promise to bring it into the bloc. The EU's 24 other foreign ministers spent eight hours Sunday |
| Posted by:Jackal |
| #3 Heh heh. Why does Sec. of State Rice care whether Turkey joins the EU or not? Like, it's their business and that of the EU nations, not ours. If it's going to be screwed up, let the bunch screw it up on their own, without our help. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2005-10-03 21:45 |
| #2 IMHO, these talks will outlast the EU itself. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2005-10-03 19:39 |
| #1 This still doesn't mean squat. Talking is still a world away from admission into the EU. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-10-03 17:53 |