August 30, 2005 - 9:05 AM

Barroso: No calls to delay Turkey membership talks

WARSAW (Reuters) - No European Union member has suggested delaying the start of EU membership talks with Turkey, EU President Jose Manuel Barroso said in an interview published on Tuesday.

"So far no country has signalled to me that it wants to delay the start of talks (from the October 3 target date)," Barroso was quoted as saying by Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza.

"The European Commission prepared a project of negotiations with Turkey. It is up to the countries in the EU to decide (to back it or not)," said Barroso, scheduled to meet East European leaders in Warsaw and in Hungary's capital Budapest on Tuesday.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy raised pressure on Turkey over Cyprus on Tuesday, telling a conference of French ambassadors it was hardly conceivable that a country seeking to enter the EU would not recognise all its members.

German conservative leader Angela Merkel, tipped to win next month's elections, has written to EU leaders seeking support for her proposal of offering Turkey a status short of full membership if talks fail.

Turkey is due to start accession talks on October 3 but faces strong public opposition in some EU member states, notably France, though Chirac backed the EU's decision last December to invite Turkey to start entry talks.

Turkey cleared the last obstacle to the talks last month by signing what is known as the Ankara protocol, extending its customs union to new EU members including Cyprus.

But Ankara also issued a declaration making clear the signing of the protocol did not signify recognition of the Greek Cypriot government, regarded by Brussels as the sole legitimate authority on the island.

Turkey backs breakaway Turkish Cypriots in northern Cyprus.