You're reading: Barroso: Cultural differences hurt Turkey’s European Union plan

NEW YORK, Sept. 21 (Reuters) - European Union Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on Tuesday Turkey's ambitions to join the bloc are being thwarted because of cultural differences and a change in attitude toward Turkey.

Turkey’s application to join the 27-nation EU has met with European resistance for years because of Turkey’s human rights record and friction with Cyprus, an EU member that Turkey does not recognize.

Barroso told students at Columbia University there had been "developments both in public opinion in Turkey and in some of our member states" that were hindering progress on Turkish membership in the EU.

"There are, it’s true today, in European Union member states … some big questions about the membership of Turkey because of cultural differences and that is something that is extremely serious," Barroso said.

"We are now discussing this matter with our member states."

If admitted, Turkey would be the only Muslim-majority country in the EU and one of its largest by population. Other countries whose applications are on hold are Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Montenegro.

Barroso said he would meet with Turkish President Abdullah Gul while they are in New York for the U.N. General Assembly.

"Turkey recognizes that not all benchmarks have been met — this is the first issue," Barroso said.

"The European Commission is very much in favor of the enlargement of the European Union but we have to see all the members meet all criteria."

Rising opposition to immigration in a number of EU countries also has harmed the candidacy of Turkey, which has long been a major source of immigration in Europe.
On Sunday, Swedish voters gave the Sweden Democrats enough support to put the anti-immigration party into parliament. In a number of other European countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands, right-wing parties opposed to immigration have also gained traction in recent years.