EU to decide on membership talks with Turkey

Thursday, Dec 9, 2004
Associated Press

European leaders will decide in a Dec. 16-17 summit whether to begin EU accession talks with Turkey.
Dutch Minister for European Affairs Atzo Nicolai attended the ceremony and urged Turkey to decrease "state intervention in worship."

"As friends, we owe it ourselves to be critical ... of each other," Mr. Nicolai said.

Mr. Erdogan, a devout Muslim, is keen to project a positive image of the country's treatment of minorities. He was the first premier to visit a chief rabbi shortly after suicide attacks on two synagogues last year, and earlier this week he sent a message to Jewish citizens for the holiday of Hanukkah.

Mr. Erdogan also presided over the opening of an Armenian museum on Sunday — a rare gesture by a Turkish premier.


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