ANKARA, Dec 15 (AFP) - Turkey will reject an invitation to start accession talks with the European Union if it is offered a status less than full membership, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying by one of his aides.
"Turkey will not hesitate to say 'no' to the European Union if unacceptable conditions are put forward (at the EU summit) on December 17," Erdogan said to EU ambassadors here at a meeting on Tuesday, the aide told AFP.
Erdogan told the envoys that Ankara would deem unacceptable any offer of a "priviliged partnership" instead of full membership, as well as any offer to establish a special relationship between Turkey and the EU if accession talks fail or are suspended.
The aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity, could not say whether Turkey's eventual rejection of accession talks would amount to a withdrawal of its candidacy for EU membership.
"I am not able to say what he (Erdogan) meant, but withdrawing the candidacy may be an option in such a case," he said.
EU leaders are expected to give the go-ahead for membership talks with Turkey at a summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, but to impose tough conditions.
Opponents of Turkey's membership say this vast, predominantly Muslim country should be given a special status, widely referred to as a "priviliged partnership," instead of full accession.
France, under pressure from a public opinion overwhelmingly hostile to Turkey's bid, says it would like to see provisions for an alternative relationship with Ankara in case negotiations for full membership fail.
12/15/2004 10:08 GMT - AFP