Thursday December 16, 2004
The European commission president, Jose Manuel Barroso, today urged Ankara to "go the extra mile" - including the recognition of Cyprus - to convince sceptics Turkey is ready to become a candidate for EU membership.
"The challenge for Turkey is to win the hearts and minds of those European citizens who are open to, but not yet fully convinced of, Turkey's European destiny," Mr Barroso told a press conference.
"Cyprus will be sitting at the negotiating table when EU membership talks begin for Turkey. So the question for Turkey is: what kind of message does it send when you do not recognise all the members sitting at the table of the club you want to join?"
Ankara has so far refused to recognise Cyprus, arguing it is an issue for the United Nations, and the Turkish prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, has said that he would walk away from negotiations if EU leaders imposed "unacceptable conditions".
Mr Erdogan held last-minute talks with EU leaders today before they hold a closed-door meeting about his country's possible future membership of the bloc.
He told reporters that the leaders - who are due to meet today and Friday - had adopted a "positive stance" but he did not say if all of the issues had yet been settled.
Aside from Cyprus, potential restrictions on Turkish citizens travelling and working in other EU countries once their country joins form the other main stumbling block.
While the EU leaders are expected to approve the opening of membership talks, several member countries run by centre-right coalitions, including the Dutch government under summit chairman Jan Peter Balkenende, have doubts about Turkey's European ambitions.
Besides setting strict conditions to join, the Austrian prime minister, Wolfgang Schüssel, said "it is equally important to see if the union can accept a new member".
The French president, Jacques Chirac, who faces domestic opposition to Turkish membership, gave a television interview to argue that the EU would benefit from having Turkey on board.
"Does Europe, and particularly France, have an interest in Turkey joining it?" he asked. "My answer is yes, if Turkey totally meets the conditions we impose on any candidate for our union."
