"EU reassures Turkey on talks start
Thu Mar 17, 2005 12:06 PM GMT
ANKARA (Reuters) - The European Commission has reassured Turkey that an EU decision to postpone entry talks with Croatia would not harm Ankara's own chances of starting negotiations on schedule in October.
European Union foreign ministers delayed talks with Croatia on Wednesday because of its failure to arrest a top war crimes suspect -- a decision that sent a powerful signal to other would-be EU members that they must fully respect human rights.
Some Turkish newspapers saw the decision as a warning to Turkey that the start of its own talks would not be automatic.
'The decision on Croatia was taken on merit. There is no connection with the Turkish situation,' said Hansjoerg Kretschmer, the European Commission's envoy to Ankara.
'I don't know when the negotiations with Croatia will begin but a decision has been taken to start negotiations with Turkey on October 3,' he told reporters."
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