EU postpones start of Turkey membership ceremony

The European Union has postponed a 4pm ceremony that was to mark official start of Turkey’s EU membership talks, diplomats said.

No new time was immediately set.

Differences remain among the EU foreign ministers over the merit of bringing Turkey into the EU.

Austria fiercely resisted Turkey’s bid to become the first predominantly Muslim nation to join the EU demanding that the country be offered something that falls just short of membership.

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was due to travel to Luxembourg to open the EU membership talks.