COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Turkey will be invited to begin European Union membership talks "as soon as possible" after December 2004 if Ankara meets the bloc's stringent human rights rules, EU leaders decided early Friday at a landmark summit in Denmark.
The decision is likely to be seen as a slap in the face for the moderate Islamic government in Ankara, which had pushed for accession negotiations to begin in 2003.
It will also be interpreted as a snub to the United States, which has lobbied furiously for Turkey to be given an early date for membership talks to start.
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh-Rasmussen, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, said the Union wanted to send a "strong and positive message to Turkey that acknowledged the progress made and recognized the strong determination of the new government to carry through the fundamental reforms of Turkish society."
However, the summit host said the European Union would "stick to the principle that Turkey can only get a date if and when it fulfills the EU's political criteria."
To join the 15-member club, all applicant states must honor the so-called Copenhagen criteria -- the set of rules that insists all new members must be fully functioning market democracies that respect human rights.
Rasmussen said Friday that although the new government had made a "major step forward in fulfilling the political criteria," it had not gone far enough.
EU leaders tasked the European Commission with drawing up a human rights report in December 2004 -- six months after 10 Central and Eastern European states are due to join the club.
If the review recommends Turkey has met the Copenhagen criteria, talks can begin "as soon as possible," according to Rasmussen.
The EU stance, which was decided over a late night dinner in the Danish capital, closely reflects that of France and Germany, which had urged EU leaders to set a July 2005 date ahead of the summit.
In addition to Turkey and the United States, the decision will disappoint Britain, Greece and Italy, which had pushed for the predominantly Muslim nation to be given an earlier date to begin talks.
EU leaders also agreed a $40 billion financial package for the 10 largely ex-communist states expected to get the green light to join the 15-member bloc Friday.
Rasmussen said he planned to hold head-to-head talks with Polish Premier Leszek Miller early Friday in a last-ditch attempt to persuade Warsaw to accept the EU's painstakingly crafted offer.
Poland is holding out for an extra $2 billion in aid to help the cash-strapped former Eastern bloc countries.
