Europese leiders: onderhandelingen over toetreding Turkije openen (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - European leaders have unanimously agreed to start membership talks with Turkey on 3 October 2005.

After a final few hours of discussion, EU leaders meeting for a summit in Brussels decided to set a date for opening talks after more than four decades of Turkish pressure.

"Today the European Union has opened its door to Turkey", said European Commission President José Manuel Durao Barroso.

However, with Austria, France, Denmark and others reticent about absorbing such a large, poor and Muslim country, the negotiations could yet carry a number of conditions -these are to be agreed on Friday.

Chief among the provisos that leaders agreed is that beginning negotiations would not presuppose a positive outcome.

"The goal of negotiations is accession, but_ there is not a guarantee of the outcome" said the current head of the European Council, Jan-Peter Balkenende.

If membership is not possible, Turkey should be "anchored in the European structure", said Mr Balkenende - echoing suggestions by some countries to give Turkey something less than full membership.

More talks

Turkey may yet face the prospect of permanent restrictions being put on workers travelling to Europe, agricultural funds as well as Turkey's allocation of regional development funds.

Turkey's supporters argue that these so-called safeguards are unlikely to ever be used and are only in place to appeal to Turko-sceptics in government and in Europe.

However, with public opinion in Turkey still sensitive to perceived double standards, Turkish leaders on Thursday struggled to reconcile a major foreign policy triumph with public perception.

The question of Turkey's recognition of Cyprus remained a bone of contention.

Mr Balkenende said that discussions with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on this issue would continue late on Thursday.

Mr Erdogan is being asked to extend a bilaterial deal to cover the ten member states which joined the EU in May this year, a de facto recognition of the Cypriot state.