Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with top European Union officials Friday, a week before EU leaders decide whether to open membership talks with his country. Erdogan met with Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission which recommended in October that Turkey was ready to start membership negotiations. EU leaders had promised in 2002 to open talks "without delay" if Turkey received that positive evaluation from the bloc's executive office. The leaders of the 25 EU nations are to make their final decision on when negotiations can begin at their summit next week. Once talks begin, they are expected to last at least 10 years.
