The European Union (EU) has removed an expression, which is included in the Turkey paragraph that states that membership negotiations will start on October 3, out of the leaders summit draft for June 16 and17, 2005.

The phrase "October 3" has been removed from the expression, which existed in the first draft and reminded the Council of Europe's decision that was taken at the December 17 summit and that envisioned October 3 as the start date. The second draft included the same expression without "October 3" as the start date.

While France and Austria support the draft, which has been debated at the EU Permanent Representatives Committee, Great Britain has objected it. Urging that the removal of the expression of "October 3" caused the text to lose its "balance", Great Britain also insisted on the necessity of a reference to the pleasure felt relating to Turkey's accomplishment of several legal arrangements. British officials asked the removal of a sentence signifying the enlargement of the Ankara Agreement to include the Greek Cypriots if the expression of "October3" is officially removed from the draft. With the increase in the debates, the EU Term President Luxemburg announced that it would present a new draft at a foreign ministers meeting held on Monday.

Italy also requested during the discussions that the pleasure with Turkey's legal arrangements that came to effect on June 1 should also be expressed in the text; however, these demands were not accepted. Diplomats from countries supporting Turkey's EU membership spoke to Zaman. They noted that the debates over the draft have not come to an end yet, although the expression "October 3" was removed, the draft refers to "all the articles" of December 16th and 17th decisions therefore nothing has changed on a legal basis. The same diplomats think that the expression "October3" is impossible to include in the draft text again. The text also asks Turkey to "rapidly" sign the Cyprus supplementary protocol.