"For Turkey, a long road ahead to join EU
The 25-member European Union agreed to open talks, but Turkey must clear significant hurdles to join the club.
By Mark Rice-Oxley
LONDON – Turkey was ushered into the European Union's waiting room this week. No country has yet left emptyhanded, but Turkey will have to wait until at least 2014 before the door is opened to full membership of the EU.
A decade or more of negotiations lies ahead in which the 25 EU powers will seek to ensure that Ankara's politics, economics, human rights record, and judicial system pass muster. Turkey must incorporate the 100,000-page EU rule book into its law. There are 35 policy areas that require 'harmonizing' with EU standards, from food safety to social and environment policy. Negotiations can be suspended if basic EU freedoms are violated."
More:For Turkey, a long road ahead to join EU | csmonitor.com