EU's Solana predicts last-minute deal on Turkey
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-10-02 10:04

"We want the negotiations to start but we want everyone to know what we are talking about. There must be other options than full accession," Vienna's Foreign Ministry Secretary of State Hans Winkler told Austrian daily Kurier in an interview published on Saturday.

"Alternative means that there are several possibilities. Full membership is only one. We owe it to the people to put what we mean on the table clearly," Winkler said.

BACKLASH

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara expected to be treated fairly by the EU and warned of a backlash if the 25-nation bloc moved the goalposts at the last minute.

EU diplomats have said the biggest problem is Austria's insistence on deleting a long-standing commitment that "the shared objective of the negotiations is accession".

Vienna also wants to spell out that if the Union is ultimately unable to absorb Turkey, it should be anchored to Europe through "the strongest possible alternative bond".

Turkey has warned it will walk away if offered such a second-class status.

About 4,000 Turkish Kurds marched through the centre of Brussels, demanding that "Kurdistan" be recognised and included in Turkey's entry talks with the EU. Kurdish rebels have been fighting for 20 years for a homeland in southeast Turkey.

Vural Oeger, a German member of the European parliament from the Social Democrats, said in a separate interview with NDR radio that he was also confident the row threatening the start of Turkey's accession talks would be resolved.

"I have the feeling there will be an agreement at the last minute," Oeger said.

Friedbert Pflueger, a member of Germany's conservative Christian Democrats, said he welcomed Austria's position.

"That's not a blockade," Pflueger told the Berliner Zeitung newspaper. "Austria is raising concerns that are shared in many other countries."

Close

US millionaire ready for space trip Los Angeles fire Australia fending off bird flu

Today's Top News     Top World News
China, Japan split on gas, to hold more talks         US delays ruling on new China textiles quotas         Bali terror bombings kill 25, injure 100         China's rapid growth will continue: OECD         China-US split on North Korea resolved         Xinjiang celebrates 50th founding anniversary	EU's Solana predicts last-minute deal on Turkey       Bali terror bombings kill 25, injure 100       Russia-US crew and tourist blast off       Argentina finds security 'hoax' before Bush visit       US commander now doubts troop cutbacks       US Army ends hard recruiting year, woes persist