ISTANBUL, Dec 4 (AFP) - A decision whether Turkey should join the European Union should only come after extensive talks, if those negotiations begin, the president of the European Parliament said Saturday.
"If negotiations are indeed opened, it is in all our interests that the final decision on Turkish membership be deferred until negotiations have been completed," Josep Borrell told a conference in Turkey.
Borrell is paying a visit to Turkey two weeks before a crunch summit in Brussels at which EU leaders are to decide whether to open accession talks with Turkey -- which Ankara desperately wants.
He stressed that the parliament's foreign affairs committee had overwhelmingly voted in favor of beginning talks, but that that could change by the time the entire parliament meets on December 14.
"This is a dynamic situation and no one can predict the final outcome," he told the conference organized by an economic development organization.
His comments came as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would reject any new conditions on joining and could say no to the 25-nation bloc if Turkey is not satisfied with the results of the summit.
In an interview with the liberal Radikal newspaper, Erdogan recalled that EU leaders had agreed in 2002 to open accession negotiations with Turkey without delay if it fulfills the required political criteria.
A European Commission report issued in October proclaimed Turkey ready for membership talks, he added.
"It is not possible for us to accept any new conditions. They will only tire us in the short time left," Erdogan said.
Asked if Turkey could turn down the offer to come from the December summit, Erdogan, whose country has undertaken extensive reform to ready itself for membership, said "everything is possible."
Ankara wants the European Union to set a firm date for the opening of accession negotiations at the summit and declare that the talks will end in membership.
"We are not playing a game. The EU will set a date and firmly name the process, and we will prepare our program according to that," Erdogan said.
According to a draft of EU summit conclusions leaked to the press Monday, EU leaders will not guarantee membership and will warn Turkey that the negotiations could be suspended if it violates fundamental EU principles.
The document also contains EU expectations that Ankara formally recognize EU-member Cyprus. Turkey has said it will consider whether to do so only after the EU agrees to open membership talks and only if there is a durable settlement to the island's 30-year division.
Borrell said that any steps Turkey takes on Cyprus before the mid-December summit could make a difference -- an allusion to Turkey's recognition of EU member Cyprus.
Turkey recognizes only the breakaway Turkish Cypriot government in the north of the divided island and is the only country to do so.
12/04/2004 14:40 GMT - AFP