"EDITORIAL: Turkey�s future belongs to the EU
Published on December 23, 2004
Prime Minister Erdogan has his work cut out as he struggles to bring his country up to Europe's high standards
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was right when he said that the road to the EU would be long and difficult for his country. But no matter how long, Turkey will eventually become a member of the European Union.
The country's accession to this grouping is inevitable given the keen desire among Western countries for closer integration with Muslim countries and the trend of eastward expansion that is so strong within Europe itself.
The members of the EU were very courageous in setting a date - October 3, 2005 - to begin membership negotiations with their Muslim Mediterranean neighbour, though they know full well that the process will be long and open-ended. Turkey still has much work to do over the course of the next decade in order to live up to the demanding criteria that the EU has put in place for prospective members of its grouping."
More:Bangkok's Independent Newspaper
