"Turkish leaders respond to EU reservations, say EU would be stronger with Turkey?
2005/6/30
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP)
Turkey's justice minister stressed Wednesday that the European Union would be stronger with predominantly Muslim Turkey than without it, just as the EU formally proposed to open membership talks with the longtime EU candidate despite widespread reservations.
Membership for the poor nation of 71 million is a flashpoint in Europe. EU leaders suggested on Wednesday that Turkey's membership is not guaranteed, that it could take more than a decade, and that some sort of privileged partnership short of full membership could be a possibility."
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