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Suggestions that the EU is a "Christian club" would gain further credence if Turkey did not receive a date for accession talks: Gul
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ANKARA,
December 6 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Turkish leaders Thursday,
December 5, mounted up pressures on the European Union ahead of a key
enlargement summit, insisting that anything other than a firm date for
the opening of accession talks was unacceptable.
EU
leaders will meet in Copenhagen on December 12 and 13 to decide on the
pan-European bloc's enlargement, with Turkey's chances to begin talks
expected to figure high on the agenda, reported Agence France-Presse
(AFP).
"Intermediary
formulae or options other than giving Turkey a firm date for
negotiations will fall short of meeting the expectations of our people
and government," Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said in a written
statement.
And
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the head of the ruling Justice and Development
Party, told Radikal daily: "We do not accept 'a date for a
date' or 'a conditional date.'"
In
remarks to reporters Thursday, Erdogan accused the EU of "putting
Turkey off, while negotiating with some countries which still have
deficiencies" regarding the required political criteria and
questioned the EU's sincerity towards Ankara.
EU
leaders say Turkey has not yet met the democracy criteria required for
the opening of talks.
Ankara,
however, says other candidates from Eastern Europe have started talks
without fulfilling all the criteria and that the EU is resorting to
double-standards to put Turkey off.
Gul
said suggestions that the EU is a "Christian club" would gain
further credence if Turkey did not receive a date for talks, in remarks
carried by Anatolia news agency.
Erdogan
was even harsher: "Give Turkey a date in order to give the world a
chance for reconciliation between civilizations. Otherwise you will
continue to encourage the clash of civilizations."
Erdogan,
who last week returned from a whirlwind tour of 14 EU nations, will make
a last-ditch attempt to boost Turkey's cause next Monday, December 9, in
talks with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Copenhagen.
Turkey
has recently undertaken a series of major democracy reforms, among them
the abolition of the death penalty and the recognition of cultural
freedoms for the Kurdish minority.
In
the hope of convincing the EU that Ankara is committed to European
values, Gul's government has drafted a new set of reforms with an
emphasis on combating torture, a major EU concern.
"Our
government's priority objective is to transform Turkey into a land of
liberties in line with the highest standards within the EU.
"No
one should be concerned regarding Turkey's compliance with the
Copenhagen political criteria," Gul said in his statement.
Turkey's
sizable population of some 70 million and cultural differences stemming
from its Muslim faith also worry the EU, according to observers.
The
Cyprus conflict is another stumbling block for Turkey.
The
island, divided between its Turkish and Greek communities since 1974, is
expected to receive an invitation to join the EU in 2004 under the
leadership of its internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot government.
French
President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder agreed
Wednesday, December 4, on a common stance vis-a-vis Turkey.
They
gave no details about their decision, but sources said both countries
would propose that EU leaders meet at the end of 2004 to discuss the
progress Turkey has made.
While
Ankara appears to have the support of some EU nations, such as Britain,
Italy and Portugal, many others believe the time is not right.
In
a major boost for Turkey, the United States is also exerting pressure on
EU leaders to give the country a date for negotiations.
Turkey
applied for membership in 1987, but was not formally declared a
candidate until 1999.
It
is the only nation among the 13 candidates that has so far failed to
start accession talks.
