"Mixed emotions as EU beckons
Nicolas Rothwell in Istanbul
December 21, 2004
STILL basking in the glow of Europe's newly opened doorway, the people of Istanbul, a city set between two continents, ponder their country's new destiny with anticipation, relief and some disquiet.
'We've been European for centuries in this metropolis,' says Osman Birsel, one of hundreds of locals hanging his fishing rod from the bridges that bisect the Golden Horn.
'We used to control half of Europe, and now we've been waiting patiently for decades, dreaming that we could join the European Union.'
That dream took a great step towards fulfilment last Friday, when the 25 member nations of the EU decided to open accession talks with Turkey next year. "
More:The Australian: Mixed emotions as EU beckons [December 21, 2004]