Turkey moves a step closer towards EU

The European Union and Turkey struck an historic deal on Friday to start talks next year on admitting the vast Muslim nation to the bloc aft...

The European Union and Turkey struck an historic deal on Friday to start talks next year on admitting the vast Muslim nation to the bloc after last-minute haggling over Ankara’s relationship with Cyprus.

The 25 EU leaders agreed to open membership negotiations with Turkey on Oct. 3, 2005, but in a nod to deeply sceptical public opinion in much of Western Europe they said talks would be open-ended with no guaranteed outcome.

The landmark deal, which could change the face of Europe and Turkey in coming decades, followed hours of wrangling between Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, the summit chairman, mainly over Cyprus.

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‘‘We have been writing history today,’’ Balkenende said. ‘‘We believe that the EU should become a power which would really contribute to world peace,’’ said Erdogan, who at one stage threatened to walk out over the bloc’s demands that he recognise the Greek Cypriot government. Edrogan later said that the deal did not amount to recognising Cyprus.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, one of Turkey’s strongest allies, said offering the large Muslim democracy the prospect of EU membership was a signal to the Islamic world:

‘‘It shows that those who believe there is some fundamental clash in civilisations between Christian and Muslim are actually wrong, that we can work together and we can cooperate together.’’

	Bulgaria, Romania join

			• BRUSSELS: The European Union gave the final green light on Friday to the second wave of its eastern enlargement, inviting Bulgaria and Romania to join the bloc in 2007 and agreeing to open entry talks with Croatia next March. ‘‘Today, Bulgaria saw the shores of the promised land. After a long journey, our efforts have been rewarded,’’ said Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, vowing hard work to complete reforms required by the EU. The summit was a moment of joy for Bulgaria and Romania, bringing them to the threshold of the bloc’s zone of prosperity and security. —Reuters

The summit ran into overtime over the EU’s insistence that Turkey act towards recognising the Greek Cypriot government, which Ankara has rejected until there is a settlement for the divided island.

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The EU dropped a humiliating demand that Turkey initial the pact immediately on Friday. Erdogan had threatened to walk out after Cyprus demanded a written commitment.

A Turkish official quoted him as telling Balkenende: ‘‘You are choosing 600,000 Greeks (Cypriots) over 70 million Turks, and I cannot explain this to my people.’’ Eventually Turkey pledged unilaterally to sign a protocol extending its EU association agreement to 10 states which joined the bloc in May, including Cyprus, before it starts entry talks, while insisting that did not mean recognition. —Reuters

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