Turkey able to meet EU membership criteria

Speculation is mounting as to whether the European Commission is now set to back Turkish membership of the European Union.

Turkish papers Milliyet and Sabah cited enlargement commissioner Günter Verheugen as saying that he believed Turkey would meet the conditions for membership.

According to Reuters, the Commission denied that Mr Verheugen had said something so explicit. Brussels asserts that the enlargement commissioner had said that Ankara had the ability to meet the criteria f...