When compared with some of the new entrants of EU from former communist block Turkey is much more deserving case in terms of its socio-economic advancement. Not only the country has one of the fastest growing economies of Europe its geographical location is a strategic asset for Europe. Turkey's membership of the EU will boost EU's global standing, infuse much needed dynamism into EU' flagging economy and help Europeans build bridge with the Islamic world as well as 15 million Muslims living in Europe itself. Also by admitting a country which has long been member of NATO military alliance but kept out of EU for a host of political, social and religious reason -- the decision to open entry talks with Ankara -- will set the EU on course for even more significant transformation.

Yet the pronouncement of EU leaders meeting on December 16-17 fell far short of expectation that they would signal a go-ahead for membership talk. Instead they offered for talk with strict new conditions which may indeed be difficult to meet. They want the Prime Minister Recep Teyyip Erdogan to recognise Greek Cyprus, accept all time restriction on labour migration to the EU and agree that entry talks could be put on backburner any time if there is Turkish slippage on political reforms.

The conditions are indeed disincentive considering that Turkey has been waiting for the entry into Europe since 1963 when it was given the associate membership of the European common market. In contrast last May Slovakia and Estonia joined EU within only four years and Poland within six years of the negotiation. Two Balkan countries, Bulgaria and Romania are in the line and would most probably become member by 2007. For Turkey the observers predict that the entry negotiations may drag on till 2015. For Turks it is an insult upon injury.

Although all leading European powers have supported Turkey's membership bid but those supports do not seem to be substantiated by any active steps. Deep down there is a lot of reservations about the very idea of a large Muslim country becoming the member of virtually a Christian club. Turkey, it is feared, would overtake Germany, the EU' most populous country -- a prospect which few Europeans entertain charitably.

The EU and Turkey took a fateful decision weeks before on the settlement over Cyprus -- much as it is to be desired. But it could not conceal the collisions between different values and between the aims of the decision makers and the instinct of their people that lie ahead. Nothing illustrated so well the disjunction between carefully formulated common aspiration and the reality of divergent values. The entry negotiation, if any, is likely to be tough as can be gauged from the warnings of Romano

Pradi, the chairman of European Commission. He warned that the talks would not be open-ended and the EU could call off the process if Ankara did not continue to move forward on reforms. It is in spite of Ankara staying firm in its drive to ease European concerns. Erdogan and his ministers have in the mean time spent time sweet-talking EU leaders and European big business while Turkish artists showcased the country's modern and traditional culture. Although Erdogan's justice party is also an Islamic party, but very significantly the prime minister has shed the ex-prime minister Erbakan's extremist pollicies and took up a moderate policy which alone could lead to the conditional 'yes' by the EU in October last.

Yet unfortunately many in the EU have, off late, put emotion and prejudice ahead of rational debate on the pros and cons of Turkey's membership. Although Gerhard Schroeder is a supporter of Turkey's entry but the biggest opposition to Turkish membership is now found in Germany where already more than 3m Turks live. The Germans fear that their country will be

swamped by Turks once they are granted membership of EU which does not impose any restriction on transborder movement of population. French President Chirac, once willing to admit Turkey into EU is also lukewarm now and his country demands that Turkey can at best be given a privileged relationship with EU, but not membership.

EU fretting over relation with Turkey is not new. The current EU discussions on the issue has become even more difficult because of many Europeans' post 9/11 weariness of Islam and Muslims. As a result some of the arguments put forward by Turko-sceptics in Europe illustrate an unabashed anti-Islam bias. At

times their demands almost border on claiming Turks to purge themselves of past sins -- their conduct of the imperial days with regards to the Slavs or Armenians.

A former EU high-up Frit Bolkestin finds in Turkish entry into EU a denial of its repulsion from the gate of Vienna. The French Prime Minister Jean Pierre Raffarin warns against allowing the 'river of Islam' to mingle with European secularism. Former French president Valery Giscard d'Estaing cautioned that Turkey inside Europe will mean the end of the bloc's dream of ever closer union. The attitude on both sides has recently hardened when Mr Ergodan, the Turkish prime minister categorically said that Turkey has no intention of trading its social and cultural values for EU membership.

There are however silver linings for Turkey because it can count on a number of strong friends and allies, including Britain's Tony Blair and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder as well as the leaders of Spain and Italy. The European Commission itself is on Turkey's side, announcing in October last that Ankara had met all the key pro-democracy and human rights standard to join the EU. It will be interesting to see whether basically an Asian country with barely 3 percent of its territory lying in Europe will at long last be the proud member of EU for which it had to wait for 41 years and pass the litmus test. Even if it does the road will remain rocky till the last.

Brig ( retd) Hafiz is former DG of BIISS.