MEISE, Belgium, Dec 16 (AFP) - The EU must be sure it has the "capacity to absorb" Turkey before it gives a green light to the vast Muslim country's hopes of joining the bloc, Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel warned Thursday.
Schuessel, among a minority of EU leaders more skeptical about decision to start EU membership talks with Ankara, said the EU should also be sure that it maintains its cohesion.
"The Union's capacity to absorb (new member states) must be taken into account, but also we need guarantees about cohesion within the Union," he told reporters.
"There are two poles between which we must find a compromise and I think it will be possible," he said, speaking at a meeting of EU conservative leaders outside Brussels ahead of an EU summit starting later Thursday.
"On one hand there is a strengthening of the reform process; on the other hand we need to strengthen the Union," he added.
Austria has been the leader of a small group of countries -- also including Denmark and Cyprus -- pushing for more cautious language in the conclusions of the summit, which concludes Friday.
The gathering of EU leaders is widely expected to give a green light to Turkey to start membership talks in the second half of next year while setting a series of strict conditions.
Some critics of Turkey's EU entry have been pushing for the EU to offer a "privileged partnership" with Ankara short of membership of the bloc itself, but diplomats say this is unlikely to be included in the final summit text.
The most strident supporters of Turkey's EU hopes include Britain and Germany.
12/16/2004 14:24 GMT - AFP