EU, Turkey Clash Over Entry Talks’ Start

If it does that, the draft continued, the EU "will open accession negotiations with Turkey," but it specified no date.

The Turkish leader came to Copenhagen expecting to get a firm date. It had warm backing from the United States, which is counting on the government in Ankara if there is a war against Iraq.

Gul accused the EU of discrimination, Turkey’s semiofficial Anatolia news agency reported. "This means our efforts are not appreciated and there is a prejudice against us," he said.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told reporters Ankara’s pre-summit lobbying may have worked against it. "There has been strong pressure from Turkey, which many didn’t like," he said.

Other officials, also, said negotiations among the EU leaders had run into considerable skepticism about Turkey.

Sources said the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Finland are least keen on early Turkish EU membership. Britain, Italy, Greece and Spain favor it while France and Germany have sought to take the middle ground.

Turkey’s effort to join the EU dates to the early 1960s, but its dubious human rights record and volatile finances have long prevented the West Europeans from giving the country serious consideration.

After the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Turkey saw East European nations emerge from the Soviet bloc and jump ahead in the EU waiting line.

On Friday, the EU leaders were wrapping up complex entry negotiations with Cyprus, Malta and eight East European countries that will join the EU in May 2004. Bulgaria and Romania are to follow in 2007.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer took exception to Gul’s strong language at the summit. He said the December 2004 date at which Turkey’s membership chances will be judged "was a real breakthrough.

"Everyone has to know that it was very difficult to achieve this. We appeal to our Turkish friends to understand that."

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the summit host, told reporters that if Turkey passes the EU’s human rights test in December, 2004, actual accession talks would start "as soon as possible."

Berlusconi even suggested January 2005.

Once they do start, it is expected that it will take Turkey many years to bring its economy into good enough shape to join the EU. Candidates must absorb 80,000 pages of EU legislation covering everything from agriculture to antitrust rules.

On Thursday, the EU leaders agreed on a welcome package worth $ 41 billion in farm and other subsidies for 10 candidates due to join in May 2004: Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Cyprus and Malta.

On Friday, Fogh Rasmussen met with Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller, who wants a better financial deal, but no agreement was immediately reached. Poland has been the most vocal in demanding more money from the EU.

Fogh Rasmussen was confident candidates would accept the offer on the table, saying, "There is no more money."