In return, he bowed to a plan stitched up between pan-European socialists and the European People's Party, the main conservative block in the EU, to give the council presidency to someone from the centre right and the foreign-policy job to the centre left.

ECONOMIST: The EU presidency

Dutch Eurosceptic MEP Barry Madlener accused Turkey of sabre-rattling, and said that if Turkey decided to boycott talks with the EU during the forthcoming Cypriot presidency of the Council of Ministers, then "they should never come back to the negotiating table".

BBC: MEPs split over Turkish EU membership prospects

But he or she is expected to chair EU summits, take on some of the functions of the current presidency of the Council of the European Union - held on a rotating six-month basis by EU heads of government - and represent the EU on common foreign and security policy.

BBC: Berlusconi backs Blair for EU job