EU deadlocked in war of nerves over Turkey talks

LUXEMBOURG - The start of Turkey's historic accession talks with the European Union was in jeopardy last night after EU foreign ministers failed to overcome Austrian demands for an alternative to full membership.

EU president Britain said ministers would try again for a deal overnight but said the planned opening ceremony today was uncertain and could slip.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said a planned review of Croatia's progress towards EU entry talks had been postponed and would have to wait until Turkey was sorted out.

"It is a frustrating situation, but I hope and pray that we may be able to reach agreement," Straw told a post-midnight local time news conference after five hours of tough wrangling with Austria.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn played down the threat to Turkey's 42-year-old entry bid, saying: "I am confident we will have a positive outcome and start negotiations [today]."

But a Turkish official said nerves in Ankara were "extremely stretched ... Every minute that passes is making things more bitter and it won't be nice starting negotiations with all these bruises."

With Austrian voters overwhelmingly hostile to Turkey's entry, Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik waged a lone battle demanding that the EU spell out an alternative to full membership, not only in case Turkey did not meet the criteria but also if the EU felt unable to absorb the vast, populous, poor Muslim state.

Diplomats said the 24 other members insisted they could not make any change to the central plank that the aim of the talks would be accession.

"Isolation and pressure is never going to work in politics. It's not going to work inside the European Union, certainly not. The union should have and must have a different style," Plassnik said after three tense meetings with Straw.

Asked whether Austria was prepared to veto the start of talks, she said it took all 25 member states to agree.

The EU has already irked Ankara by demanding that it recognise Cyprus soon and open its ports and airports to traffic from the divided Mediterranean island.

The European Parliament compounded Turkish irritation last week by saying Turkey must recognise the 1915 killings of Armenians under Ottoman rule as an act of genocide before it can join the wealthy European family.

Fanning Turkish anxiety, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy cast doubt on whether Turkey would ever join the EU, saying the talks might end in an enhanced partnership instead.

Douste-Blazy, who stayed away from yesterday's meeting, said that Turkey was a long way from having the same values, laws and human rights as the European Union.

"I think it will be very hard for Turkey because we will be asking a lot. We're asking it to change its laws."

- REUTERS