The European Commission's green light for Turkey EU entry talks is "cynical and nonsensical", the leader of the European Parliament's biggest political grouping has claimed.

German Christian Democrat MEP Hans-Gert Poettering attacked EU enlargement chief Günter Verhuegen over a Brussels assessment that Turkey did not practice "systematic torture".

That, Poettering argued, was "the non-word of the year - a cynical confirmation that torture is still going on". "I think it is the biggest nonsense we have heard in 2004," he said during a parliament debate.

"We expect Mr Verheugen, the commissioner responsible, not to make any decisions based on political complaisance, but rather to speak clearly about human rights in Turkey."

His centre-right Christian Democrat colleague Elmar Brok joined the attack on Verhuegen, alleging Brussels was making light of torture.

"Torture can not be trivalised by describing it as systematic," he said.

Poettering suggested that even if EU leaders decided to open negotiations with Turkey, this should not imply a conclusion one way or the other.

"What I mean in concrete terms is that negotiations could lead to membership, or not to membership, or to other forms of cooperation, for instance to a 'privileged partnership'."

Liberals

Liberal group European parliamentary leader, Graham Watson welcomed the European Commission's favourable report and urged EU governments to use its findings as a basis for opening membership negotiations, when EU leaders meet in December.

The British MEP said that membership talks would only strengthen the position of reformists in Turkey, and praised the incumbent prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"[His] government has achieved more in the last two years than previous governments achieved in forty," said Watson.

But he said that there were many who would not welcome the commission's recommendation, and that what was needed was a "profound debate" on what it means to be "European in the 21st century."

"Its outcome and the manner in which it is conducted will tell us as much about ourselves as Europeans in the 21st century as it will inform us about Turkey," said Watson.

And Watson was dismissive of those whose only argument was about Islam's place in a Christian Europe.

"They should think again, and look again at the continent we live in. Where in that argument are the twenty million Muslims who are already Europeans?" he said.

Socialists

Socialist MEP and champion of Turkish EU membership, Richard Howitt cautioned that national capitals must not be allowed to dilute the Commission's recommendation when the final decision is taken in at an EU summit in Brussels in December.

"The recommendation represents a victory for fair treatment of Turkey alongside other EU accession countries, as well as a just recognition of the real achievements of political reformers in Turkey," said Howitt.

But the MEP, who warned Brussels chiefs and Europe's leaders that they would have been "institutionally racist" if they had failed to recommend the start of EU membership talks with Turkey, predicted a tense period leading up to the Brussels summit.

"Do not underestimate the risk of sceptic countries with significant Turkish populations, using fears of migration as an excuse for further delay," he warned.

"This is a choice between an open, multicultural Europe which exports values of democracy and human rights, or a closed Europe seeking to protect its privileges at the expense of its neighbours."

Greens

Joost Lagendijk the Dutch Green MEP and Chairman of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee said that the Commission's recommendation was recognition of the "silent revolution" taking place in Turkey.

"The sooner talks begin – the better," he said

And in a swipe at Poettering, Lagendijk said he hoped that Europe's governments would not bow to pressure to thwart the talks from the outset by describing them as 'open-ended'.

"Turkey has applied for membership of the EU, not for a special partnership," he said

And the Dutch MEP feels that Brussels has, gone too far in proposing the suspension of free movement of Turkish citizens.

A qualification that others see as mere window dressing to appease anti-Turkish sentiment.

"This proposal is unwarranted, undesirable and dangerous. If and when Turkey eventually does join the EU, Europe's demographics will be totally changed," he said.

"In the meantime proposing a permanent suspension of one of the EU's most fundamental principles will play on people's fears, which, as we know, is a very dangerous thing and not something that politicians should be engaging in."

eupolitix.com