It has taken Turkey 40 years to reach the point from where there is no turning back. The President of the Commission Romano Prodi of Italy and Gunther Verheugen of Germany, responsible for the entry of new members within the organisation have laboured for nearly a decade to prepare the countries for membership. The largest circulation daily Hurriyet in its front page on the 7thprinted photograph of Prodi and Verheugen hugging each other on the successful conclusion of their efforts. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayiip Erdogan has characterised the report as 'balanced and positive'. Since the preparation of the report has preceded extensive consultations between the two architects of the report and leaders of the 25 members and specially Jacques Chirac of France and Gerhard Schroeder of Germany, it can be expected that Turkey will pass the test on 17 December. Many leaders of the EU are confidently predicting that negotiations will start sometime in the first half of 2005.

Talking to the TV channel CNN-Turk Gunther Verheugen stated, "the start of the negotiations will be the Second Revolution for Turkey. The Revolution of AtaTurk was very powerful. Today's Revolution is being backed by a very large majority". He concluded his remarks, "full membership will take place after 2013'.

It is a fact that Mustafa Kemal AtaTurk after his victory in his War of Independence against the western occupying powers in 1923 donned the mantle of Great Reformer. During his 15 years of rule, he transformed the Turkish society and gave it a distinct Western face. It is of course true that traditionally Turkey has always looked west and the Ottomans, who came from Central Asia, pushed west. They went there as conquerors and now they are preparing to return as members of the same family.

There is no doubt that there is genuine unease throughout Europe by the prospect of the arrival of Turkey. There are memories of conquest and babies have been nurtured by lullabies about the arrival of the dreaded Turks. Polls throughout Europe show that the majority of them find it difficult to accept Turkey. After all only a small sliver of Turkey is in Europe and the rest stretches through Asia. There is great deal of ignorance between the Turks and the Europeans and a great effort at trying to know each other is necessary.

Inspite of these obstacles that the door appears to have been opened for Turkey, it has been possible for the untiring effort of Prodi and Verheugen and the determination with which the Turkish authorities have faced the problem head on. Some foreign observers have expressed their admiration for the determination of the Turks and the great unity among them. They have been repeatedly rebuffed but have held on. It is worth noting that Turkey had to fulfil Copenhagen Criteria in order to get the green signal from the EU. In essence the Copenhagen Criteria covers a vast field of reforms in political, social and practically every field of statecraft. The present government led by Erdogan astounded the EU by the speed with which it instituted the reforms.

Of course each successive Turkish government has for the last 40 years remained steadfast in its effort to obtain membership. It is Erdogan's good fortune that he happens to lead the nation at a time when everything seems to be coming to a climax. He has paid tribute to his predecessors for their contribution in this great enedeavour. It is also remarkable that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) which currently leads the country has the label of Islam. The whole of Europe and particularly France is deeply wedded to secularism as state principle. Among the sweeping reforms of AtaTurk the centre piece is secularism. To take a simple example -- head scarf is a burning topic in Turkey as in France. AKP will need considerable adjustments as the negotiations begin, hopefully in the middle of next year.

Although EU is composed of 25 sovereign states, France and Germany are truly in the driver's seat. Germany has been an ardent supporter of Turkey all along. There are 3 million Turks who live and work in Germany for several generations. The Ottman Empire was an ally of Germany in the First World War. France has given the impression of wavering undoubtedly because of the dynamics of her internal politics. What appears to have clinched the matter seems to be the consideration that admission of Turkey would be the most powerful message to the Islamic world. Here is Christian Europe stretching its hand of friendship to Islamic Turkey. Turkey's geo-political situation is also of great interest to Europe. With the emergence of newly independent states in Central Asia, after the collapse of the Soviet Union -- states which are largely Turkic -- Turkey has appeared on the world stage from the periphery of Europe to the centre of great events. That Turkey sits in the heart of Middle Eastern oil, also enters the calculation of EU.

Oktay Eksi, in a front page editorial in Hurriyet wrote feelingly, "It was a day when Great AtaTurk should have been with us. The fact that this result has been achieved by conservative and religious personality like Tayiip Erdogan would have made him happier still."

The great journey has begun. It is a date that both Turkey and Europe will remember for a very long time. It seems to me that we have reached a turning point in history.

Arshad-uz-Zaman is a former Ambassador.