"Observer from Ankara
By Vincent Boland
Published: December 20 2004 12:23 | Last updated: December 20 2004 12:23
To Brussels and back, triumphant
For a moment on Saturday, it looked as if Recep Tayyip Erdogan was about to break into song.
Turkey's prime minister was being cheered by a crowd in the capital Ankara on his triumphant return from Brussels, where he secured talks on his country's entry to the European Union.
Standing atop a platform, Erdogan took the microphone and suddenly music was heard over the loudspeakers. The crowd waited, anticipating a verse of the national anthem, perhaps, or an ancient Anatolian folk dirge. But no. He just wanted the music to stop, so he could make a speech. "
More:FT.com / World / Brussels briefing - Observer from Ankara