ANKARA, 29 September 2005 — Turkey hinted yesterday that it may shun the start of EU membership talks next week as political tensions rose over the country’s place in Europe, leading Britain to warn of a “huge betrayal” if the door was slammed shut on Ankara.
Raising the risk of a political showdown, the European Parliament issued a stern warning to Ankara to recognize Cyprus and acknowledge that the Ottomans committed “genocide” against Armenians during World War I, two highly sensitive issues that have already strained ties. The Parliament did, however, endorse the start of talks set for Monday.
Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected the resolution. “That resolution is not binding. It does not matter whether they took such a decision or not. We will continue on our way,” private CNN-Turk television quoted Erdogan as saying during a visit to Abu Dhabi. Speaking to Turkish reporters in Abu Dhabi, Erdogan also reiterated his view that the EU has to admit Turkey or risk being branded a “Christian Club.”
“The EU ... has to prove that it is not a Christian Club. To say ‘the EU is not a Christian Club’ won’t save it from becoming a Christian Club,” Erdogan said.
“What will the EU achieve by admitting Turkey? It will become a bridge between the 1.5-billion strong Muslim world and the EU. It will start an alliance of civilizations,” he added. The EU’s British presidency, meanwhile, battled to resolve a deadlock over the negotiating framework — the guiding procedures and principles of the talks — with Austria insisting on a reference to an eventual “partnership” instead of full membership for Turkey.
