EU: The European Union's top enlargement official strongly defended Turkey's bid to join the community yesterday, but said he did not favour giving Ankara a date to open negotiations at an EU summit next month.
Enlargement Commissioner Mr Guenter Verheugen rejected comments by former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing that admitting the Muslim country of nearly 70 million would spell the "end of the European Union".
"I do not think Turkey's membership would destroy the European Union," Mr Verheugen said. "The remarks of President Giscard have created a credibility gap [in the minds of Turkish citizens\]," Mr Verheugen said, adding EU leaders would now be under more pressure in Copenhagen to make concessions to Ankara.
Mr Giscard, who now heads a forum drafting a constitution for an enlarged EU, triggered a furore last Friday when he accused those who support Turkish membership as "adversaries" of the EU.
"Turkey wants to be treated as an equal candidate country and that is what we are doing. As soon as we conclude it meets the political criteria [mainly on human rights\] we will not hesitate to propose the start of negotiations," Mr Verheugen said.