Poland's president backs Turkey's EU bid

ANKARA, Jan 23 (Reuters) Poland's president offered strong support today for Turkey's faltering European Union bid, saying the Muslim country would strengthen the wealthy bloc.

''If Turkey becomes an EU member, the EU will be strengthened economically ... Also from the military point of view the EU will be strengthened,'' President Lech Kaczynski told reporters at the start of a two-day state visit.

Turkey, with 73 million people, offers a large and fast growing market for European business. It also has the second largest army in NATO after the United States.

''At the moment we (supporters of Turkey's accession) are a minority but I am sure that in the near future we will show that we are right,'' Kaczynski said.

Some EU governments, notably in France, Austria and Germany, have expressed doubts about Turkish membership. Many Europeans consider Turkey too large, too poor and too culturally different to fit into the EU.

Britain, Italy and Spain are Turkey's strongest advocates in the EU. Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi reaffirmed Rome's support for Turkey's EU bid during a visit to Ankara yesterday The endorsements from Kaczynski and Prodi come just a month after the EU suspended accession talks with Turkey in eight of 35 ''chapters'' or policy areas due to Ankara's refusal to open its ports and airports to traffic from EU member Cyprus.

The EU has also accused Turkey of slowing down its reforms.

The centre-right government of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan faces parliamentary elections this year and analysts say it fears a nationalist backlash if it presses reforms too strongly.

Catholic Poland, whose warm ties with Turkey stretch back to Ottoman times when they both faced a common foe in Russia, joined the EU with nine other countries in 2004. Turkey's Balkan neighbours Bulgaria and Romania joined the bloc this month.

''These (previous enlargements) do not mean the EU is closed to other countries,'' said Kaczynski.

REUTERS AB VC1938