Related: EU decision can not change Turkey's route: PM

          No change in Turkey's position regarding its EU bid: official

          Turkey to take action in line with outcome of EU meeting: official sources 

          Austria refuses to back off in Turkey's accession talks: diplomat

    

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw(Middle), EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn(L) hold a press conference in Luxembourg Oct.3, 2005. (Xinhua photo)

LUXEMBOURG, Oct. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- An emergency meeting of European Union (EU) foreign ministers failed to remove the last hurdle to accession talks with Turkey by early Monday, casting doubt on the formal launching of the talks in the afternoon.

    British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, whose country currently holds the EU rotating presidency, admitted that the EU is in a "frustrating situation," as Austria insisted that Turkey should begiven something like "privileged partnership" instead of a full membership, which Turkey said is unacceptable.

    But bilateral talks between the EU presidency and the European Commission with Austria will continue into the night, Straw told a brief press conference.

    Straw admitted the time for the formal opening of the talks, scheduled at 5 p.m. (1500 GMT) in the afternoon, is uncertain. The foreign ministers will meet again later in the morning to discuss the issue. 

    KEEP HAGGLING

    Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik said early Monday that Austria will not give in to pressure from the rest of the European Union over starting membership talks with Turkey.

    With Austrian voters overwhelmingly hostile to Turkey entry, Plassnik waged a battle demanding that the EU spell out an alternative to full membership, not only in case Turkey did not meet the criteria but also if the EU felt unable to absorb the vast, populous, poor Muslim state.

    Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds said shortly after the end of the emergency meeting that Austria should drop its demand.

    Asked whether she saw movements by the Austrians in the talks, she replied: "Very little, I'm afraid. They have to move more, they have to drop their demand."

    Plassnik reiterated that Austria is using pressure over the Turkey talks to secure support for finally starting EU entry talks with Austria's largely Roman Catholic neighbour, Croatia, which have been delayed since March due to EU concerns over a key war crimes suspect.

    In an apparent effort to increase pressure on Austria, Straw postponed a planned meeting with Croatian prime minister on Monday until there was an agreement on Turkey.

    Plassink conceded that the situation was difficult, but said: "We are not afraid of difficult situations."

    "There are limits, and we are about to explore them now," she said after bilateral talks with Straw at the end of the emergency meeting.

    EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn played down the threat to Turkey's 42-year-old entry bid, saying: "I am confident we will have a positive outcome and start negotiations tomorrow."     

    TURKEY: ROUTES UNCHANGED

    As the EU leaders keep haggling and the planned opening ceremony for accession talks with Turkey remains uncertain, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey's goals for development remain unchanged pending any EU decision.

    "Targets for the future of Turkey are not indexed onto Oct. 3 or any other date," Erdogan told a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Sunday.

    Regardless of any EU decision, Turkey will take its own decision, which will never affect or cease structural reforms, democracy and human rights, said Erdogan.

    "Turkey fulfilled its responsibilities prior to Oct. 3," he said.

    Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has made it clear he willnot fly to Luxembourg until he has seen the negotiating mandate approved unanimously by the EU.     

    TALKS ILL-TIMED?

    EU leaders agreed last December that Turkey had carried out necessary reforms on human rights, society and economy, which qualify Ankara for official EU membership talks on Oct. 3.

    But the talks appear to be ill-timed as the EU itself has to put its house in order after its constitution was vetoed in France and the Netherlands, and the 25-nation bloc has yet to sort out a budget for 2007-13.

    Opinion polls show that ordinary Europeans generally take a negative attitude toward Turkey's EU membership, .

    In France and Germany, the so-called EU engine, over 40 percentof the population are against Turkey's accession while merely about 10 percent are in favor, according to a recent survey conducted by Transatlantic Trends.

    Strains flared in July after Ankara reaffirmed its refusal to recognize the Republic of Cyprus, which joined the EU on behalf of the whole island. Ankara recognizes the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north.

    According to the EU rules, each EU member state is entitled to veto the EU's enlargement. A "no" from Austria is enough to stop Turkey's bid to enter the European family. Enditem