Turkey's Gul confident of EU entry talks approval

Turkey said yesterday it was certain a key European Union report next month would recommend starting talks with Ankara on joining the bloc.

"We fulfil the political criteria," Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told a news conference in Estonia, on a tour of the three new Baltic EU members to drum up support for Turkey's bid.

"I'm 100 per cent sure there will be a positive and fair report," he said, adding: "We are very confident, we have a list of criteria, and we have cross-checked all the points."

Turkey hopes that early next year it will secure a date to start EU entry talks. A progress report by the executive European Commission due on October 6 will form the basis of a decision in December on whether to open negotiations.

Mr Gul warned a "no" would cause trouble.

"If the political decision is not objective and not fair, then there will be negative repercussions in Turkey, the EU and across the whole world, because Turkey's membership is very important," he said.

Turkey, which has been knocking on the EU door for decades, is the only candidate country yet to start formal accession talks, partly because it is not deemed to have met EU standards on political freedoms and human rights.

Mr Gul told Reuters his government was committed to reforms it has made to address these concerns, regardless of its bid to join the 25-member bloc, and vowed there would be no slowdown.

"The reforms are not a concession to the EU, but are in the interest of the Turkish people," he said.