European Union foreign ministers are meeting today in a last-ditch attempt to persuade Austria to drop its objections to starting membership negotiations with Turkey.
Those historic talks have long been planned to start tomorrow in Luxembourg, but are now in disarray due to last-minute reservations from Austria.
Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik is expected to maintain her country's position at today's working dinner for the 25 foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
She said ahead of those talks that her country's position reflected wider concerns among Europeans about the EU's ability to take in a predominantly Muslim and largely poor country of about 70 million.
Austria has refused to support the EU's negotiating mandate with Turkey , demanding Ankara be offered a lesser partnership instead of full membership. All 25 EU nations have to agree on a negotiating mandate before talks with Turkey can begin.
"What we propose is an option in case membership does not work out," Plassnik said on Friday. Full membership for Turkey is possible "one day - if Turkey fulfils the requirements and if the European Union is also in a position to absorb Turkey ," she said. "However, we should now listen to the concerns voiced by so many people across Europe."
Vienna is also linking the issue to Croatia's membership bid - which was frozen because the EU felt it was not doing enough to hand over war crimes suspects - be put back on track. Austria wants those talks started again.
Britain, the current EU presidency holder, and other EU nations fear that accepting changes demanded by Austria will unravel an already cautiously-agreed to deal between EU leaders last December, when they decided to open talks with Turkey .
Diplomats said Austria wants to drop a clause in the draft mandate which states that the objective of the negotiations is full membership. The mandate - which sets out the rulebook for the talks - does not mention a partnership as an alternative option.
The EU foreign ministers are to review Croatia's cooperation with the UN's war crimes tribunal tomorrow morning, before the planned start of the Turkey talks, and assess whether it has done enough to hunt down Gen. Ante Gotovina, who is wanted by the tribunal.
Diplomats said the impasses with Austria could be resolved if EU foreign ministers decide to restart entry talks with Croatia.
Meanwhile Turkish officials were getting increasingly angered by the turmoil among EU nations, demanding the club keep to their word.
"If the European Union decides not to keep its word, if its own leaders decide to forget their signatures beneath the decisions they've made before the ink has even dried ... then of course in that case this kind of partnership can never be," Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday. He has warned that he would not show up in Luxembourg for the expected opening of the talks if the negotiating mandate is watered down.
The issue has deeply divided EU officials, who on one hand want to keep their commitment to Turkey , but on the other have to accept that a growing majority of Europeans oppose Turkey 's membership.
An EU survey published this week found only 10% of Austrians support Turkey 's membership, while support across the 25-nation bloc stood at just 35%. Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds on Friday said the EU should not give in to Austria's insistence that Turkey be offered the option of a lesser partnership with the EU.
"I think we need to stand firm here," Swedish news agency TT quoted Freivalds as saying. "After all, it's 24 countries against one, and then the lone country should listen to what we have to say."