Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep
Dec 15 2004

EU’s Parliament Wants Talks Opened With Turkey

15 December 2004 — The European Parliament today called on European
Union leaders to open membership talks with Turkey as soon as
possible.

The European Parliament made its call in the form of a nonbinding
resolution that urges Ankara to carry out further democratic reforms
— including a “zero tolerance” approach to torture — and move
toward recognizing Cyprus.

It also calls on Turkey to acknowledge “the genocide perpetrated
against the Armenians.” That statement refers to the 1915-23 killing
of as many as 1.5 million Armenians through actions under the Ottoman
Empire in eastern Turkey.

Speaking in Ankara, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
welcomed the resolution. But he reiterated that Turkey will say “no”
to the EU if it imposes unacceptable conditions on starting
membership talks.

EU leaders are expected to decide at a two-day meeting that begins
tomorrow in Brussels whether or not to start entry talks with Turkey.