EU, Turkey deal on talks

LUXEMBOURG – Turkey and the EU struck an eleventh-hour deal and launched membership talks yesterday despite deep public scepticism over whether the wealthy Western bloc would ever manage to absorb the populous Muslim nation.

The opening ceremony was delayed until after midnight on Monday by nearly two days of fierce wrangling over Austrian and Turkish objections to the European Union’s proposed negotiating mandate, reflecting profound distrust on both sides. “This is a win-win situation and the world will also win,” said a beaming Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, echoing past Ankara statements that EU entry could bridge gaps between Christians and Muslims and help to halt Islamic militancy.British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw hailed a “truly historic day” for the world after chairing the negotiations that stretched to the limit of an EU Monday deadline but said Turkey still had much to do on rights and democracy to meet bloc rules.Straw said a “long road” of entry talks lay ahead, and this appeared to be underlined at the ceremony when Gul went straight to his seat, avoiding having to shake hands with ministers from Austria and Cyprus, which Turkey does not recognise.”I trust the EU will overcome the scepticism which now exists within the Union (towards Turkey),” said Gul, signalling Ankara would talk tough if necessary.”We expect that those concerns of ours will be handled to mutual satisfaction.”Gul, whose country has waited more than four decades at the bloc’s door, had to stand by the phone all day in Ankara to find out whether EU nations could resolve differences for membership talks to start on October 3 as EU leaders set last December.The United States stepped in to support a deal and Austria eventually accepted the shared goal of talks would be accession, not the lesser “privileged partnership” that many conservatives and Christian Democrats across Western Europe had sought.In return, the 25-nation EU made clear its capacity to embrace the NATO nation on the borders of Europe and the Middle East would be a factor in the pace of entry, as well as Ankara’s progress in meeting strict criteria on rights and other issues.Failure to start the talks would have dealt a blow to political reform and foreign investment in Turkey, and would have also deepened a sense of crisis in Europe after defeats for the draft EU constitution in France and the Netherlands and the deadlock in June on a long-term budget for the bloc.In the end Gul flew into Luxembourg shortly after midnight to hugs from EU officials and joined in jokes about a sleight of hand by the British, holders of the bloc’s rotating presidency, that the talks began on time as it was still Monday in Britain.Portuguese Foreign Minister Diogo Freitas do Amaral said the deal “probably will displease Mr (Osama) bin Laden”, referring to al Qaeda’s campaign to stem Western influence and spread Islamic rule.Turkey, whose population is 72 million, now faces a marathon effort to adapt its political, economic and social system and implement 80 000 pages of EU law.Negotiations are expected to last at least a decade and at least two EU members, France and Austria, have promised their voters a final say on Turkish accession in referendums.”Any (EU) state at any stage can interrupt the talks, for whatever reason,” said French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, listing caveats that might stop Turkey joining.DIFFERENCES ABOUND Supporters say the deal will build bridges between the Christian and Muslim worlds.Sceptics, whom opinion polls say count for a majority of Europeans, say Turkish entry could totally skew EU agricultural and regional development policies.Austria’s acquiescence came when UN war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte declared that Croatia – a close ally of Vienna – was now fully cooperating with her tribunal, clearing the way for the EU to open stalled entry talks with Zagreb.Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel rejected suggestions Vienna had buckled, pointing to a clause in the negotiating mandate allowing a looser bond than membership if talks failed.”(For) the citizens of Europe …we have shown they cannot simply be steam-rollered,” he told Austrian television.The United States lent a hand to rescue the talks after Turkey objected to a clause which hardliners in Ankara said could affect its ability to keep EU nation Cyprus out of NATO.US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to assure him the proposed EU negotiating framework would not impinge on NATO.Turkish financial markets rose with hopes of a deal after fluctuating all day with the uncertainty on Monday.Stocks, which had fallen 2,3 per cent from Friday’s close, ended up 1,9 per cent as Ankara studied the draft agreement.-Nampa-Reuters”This is a win-win situation and the world will also win,” said a beaming Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, echoing past Ankara statements that EU entry could bridge gaps between Christians and Muslims and help to halt Islamic militancy.British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw hailed a “truly historic day” for the world after chairing the negotiations that stretched to the limit of an EU Monday deadline but said Turkey still had much to do on rights and democracy to meet bloc rules.Straw said a “long road” of entry talks lay ahead, and this appeared to be underlined at the ceremony when Gul went straight to his seat, avoiding having to shake hands with ministers from Austria and Cyprus, which Turkey does not recognise.”I trust the EU will overcome the scepticism which now exists within the Union (towards Turkey),” said Gul, signalling Ankara would talk tough if necessary.”We expect that those concerns of ours will be handled to mutual satisfaction.”Gul, whose country has waited more than four decades at the bloc’s door, had to stand by the phone all day in Ankara to find out whether EU nations could resolve differences for membership talks to start on October 3 as EU leaders set last December.The United States stepped in to support a deal and Austria eventually accepted the shared goal of talks would be accession, not the lesser “privileged partnership” that many conservatives and Christian Democrats across Western Europe had sought.In return, the 25-nation EU made clear its capacity to embrace the NATO nation on the borders of Europe and the Middle East would be a factor in the pace of entry, as well as Ankara’s progress in meeting strict criteria on rights and other issues.Failure to start the talks would have dealt a blow to political reform and foreign investment in Turkey, and would have also deepened a sense of crisis in Europe after defeats for the draft EU constitution in France and the Netherlands and the deadlock in June on a long-term budget for the bloc.In the end Gul flew into Luxembourg shortly after midnight to hugs from EU officials and joined in jokes about a sleight of hand by the British, holders of the bloc’s rotating presidency, that the talks began on time as it was still Monday in Britain.Portuguese Foreign Minister Diogo Freitas do Amaral said the deal “probably will displease Mr (Osama) bin Laden”, referring to al Qaeda’s campaign to stem Western influence and spread Islamic rule.Turkey, whose population is 72 million, now faces a marathon effort to adapt its political, economic and social system and implement 80 000 pages of EU law.Negotiations are expected to last at least a decade and at least two EU members, France and Austria, have promised their voters a final say on Turkish accession in referendums.”Any (EU) state at any stage can interrupt the talks, for whatever reason,” said French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, listing caveats that might stop Turkey joining.DIFFERENCES ABOUND Supporters say the deal will build bridges between the Christian and Muslim worlds.Sceptics, whom opinion polls say count for a majority of Europeans, say Turkish entry could totally skew EU agricultural and regional development policies.Austria’s acquiescence came when UN war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte declared that Croatia – a close ally of Vienna – was now fully cooperating with her tribunal, clearing the way for the EU to open stalled entry talks with Zagreb.Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel rejected suggestions Vienna had buckled, pointing to a clause in the negotiating mandate allowing a looser bond than membership if talks failed.”(For) the citizens of Europe …we have shown they cannot simply be steam-rollered,” he told Austrian television.The United States lent a hand to rescue the talks after Turkey objected to a clause which hardliners in Ankara said could affect its ability to keep EU nation Cyprus out of NATO.US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to assure him the proposed EU negotiating framework would not impinge on NATO.Turkish financial markets rose with hopes of a deal after fluctuating all day with the uncertainty on Monday.Stocks, which had fallen 2,3 per cent from Friday’s close, ended up 1,9 per cent as Ankara studied the draft agreement.-Nampa-Reuters