COPENHAGEN, Dec 12: European Union leaders on Friday failed to set a firm date for opening membership talks with Turkey, rebuffing Ankara’s hopes of joining the bloc in the next decade.

In a decision described as “impossible to accept” by Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, EU leaders said they would only fix a date for kick-starting Turkey’s entry discussions in December 2004 — provided Ankara was implementing crucial political reforms.

Turkey must “address swiftly all remaining shortcomings in the field of political criteria,” said an EU summit communique. Officials said the EU wanted implementation of political reforms — especially as regards human rights and protection of minorities — not just promises.

Turkish diplomats slammed the EU for backpedalling on earlier, more upbeat promises and accused EU leaders of double standards in accepting new members. Set to enter the EU in 2004 are Malta and Cyprus as well as eight former communist east European states who made their membership requests much later than 1987 when Ankara formally asked to join.

The EU stance is a setback not just for Turkey’s new reformist leaders but also for the United States which had been pressing EU leaders to send a “positive and strong signal” to Ankara. Washington views Turkey as a key strategic ally in the Middle East, especially in the event of a war against Iraq but diplomats said pressure from the US had backfired.

“Leaders insisted this was a European decision,” said a diplomat, adding that Ankara now had more time to meet the EU’s political standards.