THE HAGUE, Nov 24: The European Union said on Wednesday that its member states will make their own decision on whether Turkey has fulfilled conditions to start membership talks despite a favourable view by the European Commission which had boosted Ankara's hopes.

Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, also urged Ankara to pass several outstanding reforms and stressed that the EU would be "very strict" in assessing Turkey's merits for ultimate membership.

"Member states are free to decide for themselves whether the Copenhagen criteria are fulfilled ... Member states are master of the field," Mr Bot told reporters after EU officials held talks here with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.

The October 6 report by the commission, which said Turkey had fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria and recommended the opening of accession talks, would serve only as a basis for the EU leaders' ultimate decision on December 17, Bot said.

His remarks followed comments by Gul, who argued that the favourable view of the commission, the EU executive arm, was the only condition set for the opening of accession talks with his country in an EU decision of 2002.

"Since the commission report is there and there is a clear-cut recommendation, it's our right to see all member countries honour their signatures," Gul said.

Wednesday's talks between Gul and the so-called EU "troika" - comprising the current Dutch presidency, the next one, Luxembourg, and the European Commission - was the last high-level meeting between the two sides before the crunch December 17 decision.

The EU side was represented also by Luxembourg's foreign minister Jean Asselborn, Dutch European Affairs Minister Atzo Nicolai and the EU's new enlargement chief Olli Rehn, who described Turkey's bid as " "ey priority" f the new commission.

Bot put pressure on Ankara to adopt and put into practice before December 17 six outstanding laws aimed at expanding the freedoms of non-Muslim foundations and civic associations and at improving judicial procedures.

He said the rights of non-Muslim minorities in Turkey remained "a reason of serious concern" for the EU. Gul responded with a pledge to resolve any outstanding problems.

Bot said that if EU leaders make a favourable decision on Turkey's bid, they would stick to their pledge to open the negotiations without delay "sometime in 2005." The talks are widely expected to last about 10 years.

Turkey's opponents, who maintain that the vast and relatively poor Muslim nation is not fit for EU membership, say Ankara should be given a special partnership status rather than full membership. Turkey has categorically rejected such a prospect.

While the British and German governments have expressed strong support for Ankara, another EU heavyweight - France - remains sceptical amid a deep rift among its leadership.

Bot said Wednesday that "it's up to Turkey to prove that it's able and willing to fulfil all the conditions for membership." He warned that "the EU will be very strict" in assessing Turkey's compliance with the bloc's norms before the country is allowed in.

Turkey has often complained that harder conditions are being set for its bid than for other candidates. It has been irked, for example, by several recommendations the European Commission made in its October report.

The document said that accession talks with Turkey would be open-ended and mentioned the possibility of permanently barring Turks from moving freely in the bloc. Another thorny issue is Ankara's refusal to acknowledge the internationally - recognized Greek Cypriot government of EU member Cyprus, which, for its part, has hinted it could use its veto power to block Turkey's bid. "We hope that the situation will be settled before we open negotiations," Bot said in reference to the Turkey-Cyprus row. -AFP