Turkey to Get Talks Offer

With the Turkish prime minister lobbying to the last minute, European Union leaders Thursday night reached a historic decision to open membership talks with Turkey late next year.

If the negotiations succeed, Turkey will become the first Muslim member of the 25-nation European Union and one of the largest. Europe’s borders would be expanded to Iraq and Syria, well beyond what for centuries has been defined as the European continent. And Turkey would gain the recognition that many Turks hope would bring prosperity and solidify a campaign of modernizing reforms.

At a two-day summit in Brussels, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso of Portugal early today told reporters that European prime ministers agreed to propose launching talks with Turkey on Oct. 3.

“Tonight, the European Union has opened its door to Turkey,” Barroso said.

He urged Turkey to accept the date.

“Any lesser considerations should be put aside,” Barroso said, “and Turkey should accept this very good offer.” There was no immediate reaction from Turkish officials. The date is six months later than that sought by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

If they proceed, the EU negotiations are expected to take at least 10 years.

Officials were still working on several outstanding issues early today. Barroso had said Turkey would have to recognize the Greek-backed government of Cyprus, which became an EU member in May. Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul stuck to a hard line Thursday evening, saying Turkey would not recognize the Greek Cypriot government.

But Erdogan earlier sounded more conciliatory.

“We are always ready to take new steps on Cyprus, but what is important is the manner of the step,” Erdogan told reporters. “The weighting of the wording is important now.”

As he has done frequently in recent weeks, Erdogan spent the day lobbying European leaders. He argued against setting a quota for Turkish workers migrating to Europe and against casting the talks as open-ended, preferring a deadline. Turkey has been waiting for the doors to Europe to open for 41 years.

European leaders indicated that the talks would be considered open-ended, rebuffing Erdogan. It was not yet clear, however, whether additional conditions would be attached to the EU offer. A final announcement of the details and Turkey’s response is expected today.

“We are going to negotiate and see whether membership is possible,” Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said. “There is no guarantee, however.”

Erdogan has suggested that he would walk away if conditions were unreasonable. However, few analysts think it likely he would make good on that threat.

Turkish public opinion heavily favors joining the EU, but many Turks are worried about being held to ever-higher standards to qualify or fret that their country’s cultural and national identity might be eroded.

In Europe, public sentiment has been far more negative. Many Europeans are reluctant to admit a country of nearly 70 million Muslims, many of them poor, when the continent is struggling to define its own identity and to accommodate growing immigrant populations.

Supporters of Turkey’s application say it can serve as a bridge between cultures and, in the words of several Turkish commentators, a firewall against radical Islam. In addition to being predominantly Muslim, Turkey is a secular state and relatively democratic.

To win entry to the EU, the Turkish government has adopted broad political and economic reforms.