"Brussels seeks to allay Turkish concern over EU talks schedule
By Raphael Minder in Brussels
Published: August 10 2005 03:00 | Last updated: August 10 2005 03:00
Olli Rehn, the European Union's enlargement commissioner, yesterday said he was 'reasonably confident' that Turkey would start EU accession talks as scheduled on October 3, in an attempt to damp concerns in Ankara that France is preparing to veto the negotiations.
Brussels has been at pains to distance itself from recent comments by Dominique de Villepin, the French prime minister, who suggested last week that it would be inconceivable to open negotiations with Turkey if it did not first recognise Cyprus as one of the 25 EU member states."
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