"Europe Bloc Says Turks Can Apply
By SUSAN SACHS
Published: December 18, 2004
RUSSELS, Dec. 17 - The European Union said Friday that Turkey could join its ranks as soon as 10 years from now, but warned that the Turks must overcome widespread public opposition to a Muslim country's entering the European fold.
Leaders of the 25 member nations offered to begin talks on Turkish accession next October. While they stressed that they could not guarantee the outcome, the invitation alone marked Turkey's leap from perennial suitor to serious contender for full European Union membership.
Advertisement
Turkey's prime minister, Recip Tayyip Erdogan, accepted the offer, but only after he rebuffed behind-the-scene demands for Turkey formally to recognize Cyprus, its longtime adversary and a European Union member since May. "
More:The New York Times > International > Europe > Europe Bloc Says Turks Can Apply