The Turkish foreign minister traveled to Rome on Thursday for talks with his Italian counterpart expected to focus on Ankara's bid to join the European Union. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has been meeting with European officials to drum up support for Turkey, a Muslim nation of about 70 million people. Later Thursday, he was scheduled to have talks with Italian Foreign Ministry Gianfranco Fini. In October, the EU Commission recommended that membership talks be started, but leaders must vote at a summit next month in Brussels on whether to give the green light to begin the talks. Italy has been a strong supporter of Turkey's efforts to join the EU, and Premier Silvio Berlusconi said last week that membership talks should start early next year. However, a government party, the often-xenophobic Northern League, has proposed that Italy hold a referendum on whether Turkey should join the union.
