LUXEMBOURG, Oct. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- The European Union (EU) held here on Sunday evening an emergency foreign ministers' meeting to discuss the launching of Turkey' accession talks.

    On December 2004, the EU summit in Brussels decided to launch the talks at Oct. 3, or Monday. However, recently Austria stood up to say "no" to Turkey's possible full membership, but prefers to give the Muslim country a "privileged partnership."

    According to the EU's rules, Turkey's entry needs the "nod" unanimously from all 25 EU member states.

    Britain, which is holding the EU presidency, arranged Sunday's meeting, just one day from original plan for the launching, in a bid to pave the way for a smooth launching.

    In a recent public survey conducted by Transatlantic Trends, the Europeans' overall attitude towards Turkey's EU membership is "negative" since 2004.

    In France and Germany, or so-called "the EU's engine", 47 percent of population in France are against Turkey's accession while merely 11 percent are in favor, the others are undecided. In Germany, the figures are 40 percent, 15 percent and 43 percent respectively.

    The standard Eurobarometer survey, conducted in May-June 2005 in all 25 EU members, shows that over 50 percent support for the Turkey's entry were found in only three countries - Poland, Slovenia and Hungary.

    On Saturday, however, Turkish foreign minister Abdullah Gul urged the EU leaders to "keep their promises" and open talks on Monday, warning that Ankara would accept no new conditions to the launching of news talks.

    It was not clear whether the EU foreign ministers would find out a way out on Sunday night to tackle Austria's insistence against Turkey's full membership, but sources said a possible outcome, if any, would be dug out on Monday. Enditem