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Turkey's PM Erdogan appeals to EU, but digs in ahead of key summit
AFP: 12/14/2004

ANKARA, Dec 14 (AFP) - Turkey will settle for nothing less than full EU membership, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday, warning the European bloc against making a "historic mistake" two days before a key summit.

"We have said on several occasions that we will not accept a decision that is not based on a perspective of full membership and which offers special status" instead, Erdogan told lawmakers of his Justice and Development Party (AKP).

"I believe the EU will not undersign a historic mistake which will weaken its own foundations and will make a decision in line with Turkey's expectations" at its summit Thursday and Friday in Brussels, he added.

The summit of the 25 European Union nations is expected to give the green light to start membership talks with Turkey, but with a set of strict conditions and a warning that the process is likely to take at least a decade.

As Erdogan spoke, EU officials were still haggling in Brussels over the conclusion of the summit, with no apparent headway on the question of when membership talks should start with Turkey.

Some countries skeptical of Turkey's EU accession are also calling for Ankara to be offered a "privileged partnership" with the EU as a backstop if membership negotiations fail.

In a speech interrupted by ovations, Erdogan listed what he expects from the Brussels summit against the background of when he termed were Ankara's non-negotiable demands.

"What needs to be done is clear: unconditional full membership, a clear negotiating process without the need for a second decision and no new political conditions apart from the Copenhagen criteria," the set of standards candidate countries must fulfill to be eligible for membership talks, Erdogan said.

He said his government had met all the criteria required to begin accession talks through major democracy and human rights reforms adopted over the past two years and said he now expects the EU to do its part.

"We, as a country, have done what we had to do to start the membership talks," Erdogan said. "The rest is the responsibility of the EU.

"We expect our European friends to show a sincere attitude, in line with the universal values recorded in the founding principles of the European Union," he said.

Erdogan also added that allowing Turkey, an overwhelmingly Muslim but strictly secular country, into the mainly Christian EU would serve to foster intercultural ties.

"If the EU is not ... a Christian club, then I call on you (EU leaders) to declare that with Turkey's accession," he added.

A decision to the contrary would "disappoint a 70-million-strong Turkey which has not lost its EU ideals for 40 years".

The Turkish leader also had some harsh words for a number of Kurdish politicians, artists and intellectuals -- including human rights award winner and ex-lawmaker Leyla Zana -- who last week took out advertisements in two foreign newspapers implicitly asking for autonomy for the Kurds.

Erdogan said his government was working to ensure equal rights for all Turkish citizens through far-reaching democracy reforms, but said Ankara would never give in to attempts to "dilute the constitution and unitary structure by the abuse of democracy reforms".

"Policies based on religious, regional and ethnic nationalism have gone past their sell-by date," Erdogan said.

The Turkish prime minister, who is scheduled to have lunch with the ambassadors of EU member countries later in the day, will fly on Wednesday to Brussels for last-minute talks with EU counterparts before the summit.