Austria to Oppose Turkish EU Bid

The Austrian government signalled over the weekend that it will oppose Turkish membership of the EU in the near future. Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner said during a debate on Sunday, "Our honesty obliges us to say that Turkey is not ready yet today for EU membership. But the EU is not ready for such a step either. Because this is what it comes down to as well - namely that the Union must also be able to accomodate the (Turkish) accession." According to reports in the Austrian press, the Austrian Prime Minister Wolfgang Schüssel backed Ms Ferrero-Waldner, stating that both Turkey and the EU were unprepared for Turkish membership. EU leaders will decide during a summit in December whether or not to start formal accession negotiations with Turkey. (EUobserver.com)