Ahern: EU must negotiate with Turkey

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has said negotiations with Turkey over EU membership must go ahead tomorrow.

Foreign ministers from all 25 states are meeting today to discuss the country's application for membership.

Austria is demanding the EU considers partial-membership, but Turkey says it will abandon talks if this is the case.

Speaking on Sky News, Mr Ahern said agreements were made last year that negotiations would take place on the basis of full-membership, and they must stick to their word.

“We did agree on where Turkey stood, I know people have reservations,” the Taoiseach told Adam Boulton on Sky’s Sunday programme.

He said that some countries may have constitutional referenda on Turkey’s membership.

“But, we made a decision last December on the basis of how we’d open negotiations and I think negotiations should be opened on that basis”, he added.

“I hope the foreign ministers can resolve that difficulty”, he said.