JURIST - Paper Chase: EU deadlocked over Turkey membership bid

[JURIST] The European Union [official website] Monday postponed a ceremony to mark the opening of membership talks with Turkey [JURIST news archive], without setting a new time. The postponement comes as member states reached a deadlock [Reuters report] over the terms for opening the talks on Turkey's proposed membership in the EU [EU enlargement backgrounder; BBC backgrounder]. Austria has demanded that Turkey not be offered full membership, instead receiving an offer of a lesser partnership. Additionally, Turkey objected to a clause in the draft negotiating mandate that stipulated that the country may not block the accession of EU member states to international treaties and organizations. BBC News has more.

Previously in JURIST's Paper Chase...

10:56 AM ET - AP is reporting that EU diplomats are saying that an agreement has been reached on an offer to resolve the crisis over Turkey's proposed membership, but that the EU is awaiting a response from Turkey.

2:12 PM ET - BBC News is reporting that the Turkish government has accepted conditions set by the EU for membership negotiations.