U.S. Backs Turkey on Franco-German Proposal

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said setting a date now would encourage political reform in Turkey and make it easier to reunite the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.

“We think that it’s possible to advance this (reform) process, as well as to advance the process of a settlement in Cyprus, by carrying out this action at this time — by giving them a date at this time,” he told a daily briefing.

Washington has been lobbying actively on Turkey’s behalf in advance of next week’s European Union summit in Copenhagen, which will decide what to propose to Ankara on membership.

The United States and the United Nations have also been pressing for an agreement on Cyprus in time for the summit so that the union can offer talks to a potentially united island.

On Thursday, France said it agreed with Germany that the European Union should review Turkey’s progress in 2004 with a view to opening negotiations in July 2005. Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan rejected the proposal on Friday.

The U.S. lobbying effort has irritated many Europeans, who argue that the United States will not have the task of integrating an overwhelming Muslim country of more than 65 million people into the tightly knit community.

They suspect that Washington’s immediate interest is to win the support of the new Turkish government for a possible attack on neighboring Iraq, using Turkish territory.

Boucher said: “We’re not members of the European Union, but we have always been very strong supporters of Turkey’s aspirations to join the European Union and of Turkey’s wish to begin accession talks as soon as possible.”

“We feel strongly that Turkey should be offered an early confirmed date to begin accession negotiations and we’re in contact with various other governments about that point of view,” the spokesman added.

The Bush administration has been effusive about the new Turkish government, despite its Islamist roots and European suspicions that the immediate motive for its promises of reform is to pin down a commitment on the timing for EU membership.

Boucher said: “We have noted Turkey’s made a lot of internal reforms already. They’ve proposed further, very significant reforms.”