Turkey's decades-old drive to join the European Union gathered pace today after strong expressions of support from France and Germany and also from Nato ally the United States.
German Chancellor Mr Gerhard Schroeder, in Istanbul with dozens of other Western leaders for a Nato summit, said he was sure Turkey would get a green light in December to start entry talks.
French President Mr Jacques Chirac, long seen by Turkish media as cool on Ankara's bid, spoke of an "irreversible" process, though he stopped short of saying when Turkey might join.
US President Mr George W. Bush, ignoring a call by Mr Chirac for him to mind his own business, reaffirmed Washington's long-standing support for Turkey's EU membership, saying it would boost relations between the West and the Muslim world.
Turkey has been knocking on the EU's door since 1963 and became a formal candidate in 1999 but has yet to start talks due to concerns over its human rights record.
Mr Bush said Turkey's EU entry would dispel the concept of a "clash of civilisations" between East and West. "Including Turkey in the EU would prove that Europe is not the exclusive club of a single religion and it would expose the 'clash of civilisations' as a passing myth of history," he said.
Mr Chirachad criticised Mr Bush yesterday for publicly backing Turkey's bid, saying only the EU could decide on such matters.
Critics fear the admission of a Muslim if secular country of 70 million people bordering Iraq and Iran could overstretch the EU, which has just enlarged into ex-communist east Europe.
But diplomats say they expect an EU 'yes' in December. Britain, Italy and Spain - all seen as warm to Turkish membership - reiterated their support during the Nato summit.