BRUSSELS - European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso on Wednesday stood firm on the EU's commitments to open accession talks with Turkey but also said it needed to "discuss seriously" public concerns about the country's possible membership.
Barroso said that it was necessary to "discuss seriously the signals that were sent by the electorate regarding Turkey".
French and Dutch voters' rejection of the EU's constitution has in part been put down to concerns about EU enlargement and Turkey's possible membership in particular.
"It will be a complete mistake not to look at this issue seriously," Barroso told a news conference, and ensure "that enlargement should be done in a manner that at least is well understood by member states."
"We need the support of member states and citizens in our member states for the enlargement of the European Union," he added.
EU leaders agreed in December to start accession talks with Ankara on October 3, provided the vast Muslim country meets a number of conditions, one of which is the signing an accord with the divided Cyprus.
Romania and Bulgaria signed accession treaties in April, with a view to joining in January 2007.
06/22/2005 13:12 GMT