No guarantee Turkey will secure EU membership: Dutch PM

BRUSSELS, Dec 16 (AFP) - There is "no guarantee" EU membership talks with Turkey will lead to Ankara's automatic entry, but it must still be tied firmly to Europe, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said Thursday.
Speaking after EU leaders agreed at a summit here that the accession talks should start on October 3 next year, the summit's chairman warned that "there is not a guarantee for the outcome."
Balkenende, whose country holds the EU presidency, said that if the talks did not lead to membership, "it must be ensured that the candidate state ... must be anchored in the European structures."

12/16/2004 22:34 GMT - AFP