Istanbul bombings cloud Turkish EU hopes

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1511&ncid=1511&e=10&u=/afp/20031121/wl_afp/turkey_attacks_britain_031121205548

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BRUSSELS (AFP) - EU leaders insisted that the Istanbul bomb blasts would not knock Turkey's EU hopes off course -- but the deadly attacks threaten to re-ignite debate over the vast Muslim country's candidacy.

The European Commission (news - web sites) joined a number of foreign ministers including Britain's Jack Straw in declaring that the suicide attacks should have no impact on Turkey's hopes of winning a green light to start EU talks next year.


"Turkey's aspirations as a member of the EU are beyond any question," said Jean-Christophe Filori, a spokesman for EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen in Brussels.


"This should not in any way affect the reform process in Turkey. The (process) should be further pursued and enforced... The EU will do everything it can to support Turkey in that endeavour," he added.