"Britain warns of Islamic backlash if EU snubs Turkey
By Stephen Castle in Brussels
Published: 09 September 2005
Britain and the United States have begun diplomatic moves to salvage Turkey's plans to open European Union membership talks next month, amid a growing crisis over Ankara's refusal to recognise Cyprus.
The Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, warned in a hard-hitting speech that snubbing Ankara's hopes would give ammunition to Islamic extremists, while welcoming it into the EU would help avert a 'clash of civilisations' between the Muslim world and the West. Failure to start EU membership negotiations on 3 October as scheduled could lead Europe into a 'crisis on our own doorstep,' Mr Straw said."
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