"EU set to negotiate letting Turkey join
Door `opened,' but conditions remain
By Catherine Collins
Special to the Tribune
Published December 17, 2004
VAN, Turkey -- European Union leaders decided Thursday to open negotiations with Turkey next year on EU membership, but the road to acceptance will be bumpy.
'Tonight the European Union has opened its door to Turkey ... making a balanced offer,' Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, said in Brussels. 'I genuinely believe this is an offer that Turkey should be glad to accept.'
The 25 EU leaders at the Brussels meeting will propose Oct. 3 as the start date for the talks, The Associated Press reported.
Turkish membership has been controversial, and EU leaders are likely to try to calm their wary citizens by attaching conditions ensuring that Turkey's full membership will be 10 to 20 years away."
More:Chicago Tribune | EU set to negotiate letting Turkey join
