BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair's recent visit to Turkey has highlighted the importance of this secular Muslim country which has such a key role in bringing about stability in the region and which can be a model for other Islamic nations.

The European Union will soon have to decide whether to formally open accession negotiations with Turkey, which has been trying to enter this club since the 1960s. The EU should consider its options well as there is certainly a lot at stake.

I was present at the Helsinki EU summit in December 1999 when Turkey was actually declared to be a candidate country and the Turks were absolutely delighted. Although at that stage no guarantee was given over the opening of membership negotiations between Brussels and Ankara, the fact that Turkey was told that it had the necessary credentials to apply to join the EU was a huge boost for the country. The message at Helsinki was clear: the opening of negotiations with Turkey would depend on the progress made in both political and economic reform.

Before having a look at whether such reform has taken place it is important to discuss the principles involved here. Turkey has been a loyal ally and friend of the West throughout the post-second world war period. It is a member of NATO and successive Turkish governments have tried to take their country into the EU. If Turkish soldiers can die for Europe, through NATO membership, then surely it is only fair that Turkish citizens should be allowed to share in the benefits of an enlarged Europe.

However, it is not only the fact that Turkey has been a good friend of Europe which should be taken into consideration. Turkey is almost unique in the Muslim world in the sense that it is a secular democracy - which is why it is often the target of Islamic militants. Secularism and democracy are the twin hates of Muslim fundamentalists - such beliefs are completely alien to people like Osama Bin-Laden and his Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation. It is therefore crucial that Turkey remains within the Western sphere of influence, and continues to be both secular and democratic. The best guarantee of this is to open EU accession negotiations with Turkey and to eventually allow it to become an EU member.

It is true that some politicians in Europe, especially those on the right, are sceptical, if not openly hostile, to the idea of Turkey becoming an EU member. The fact that Turkey is a Muslim country is seen as a threat - I personally consider it a great opportunity for Europe to improve its links with the Muslim world.

Some say that Turkey's membership of the EU is incompatible with Europe's Christian heritage. I cannot agree. While I fully acknowledge Christianity's unique contribution to European civilisation and heritage (which should be mentioned in Europe's Constitution), I do not fear that Turkish membership of the EU would somehow threaten Europe's Christian identity. Europe is secular and so is Turkey, so there should be no cause for concern.

The benefits for Europe as a result of Turkish membership of the EU are so obvious that it would be madness for the Union to snub Turkey. As a member of the bloc Turkey would be the ideal link to the Muslim world at a time when tensions between Islam and the west are at an all-time high. Turkey could also encourage the EU to take a more active role in the Middle East peace process which at the moment is in tatters.

Furthermore, a stable, democratic, secular, pluralistic, liberal Muslim Turkey where the rule of law is supreme and where minorities have full rights would be the perfect model for the entire Muslim world. It would prove, beyond any doubt, that democracy and Islam are not incompatible, and Turkey's success would be the greatest weapon against al-Qaeda and Islamic militants all over the world.

I am not suggesting that Turkey is not yet a democracy, however, it still has some way to go before it can be considered a complete democracy, although a lot of progress has been made. Opening EU accession negotiations would be the perfect way to encourage further reforms, both political and economic, and to serve as an incentive and a catalyst for such reform.

The Turkish government led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has, since 2002, passed legislation which has guaranteed freedom of expression and association, abolished the death penalty, made torture a criminal offence and given the Kurdish minority increased rights. In foreign policy, Ankara managed to keep out of the war in Iraq without greatly offending its close ally, the United States, and it also persuaded Turkish Cypriots to vote in favour of a UN plan for Cyprus. These are all worthy achievements which might not have taken place had there not existed the possibility of EU accession for Turkey.

Of course, these reforms and a sensible foreign policy are in Turkey's interest just as they are in the EU's interest. However, I believe that the EU has absolutely no choice but to start negotiating Turkey's EU membership because to do otherwise would result in Turkey being isolated, angry, and humiliated, which is in nobody's interest. It would also encourage the growth of the darker and nationalistic forces of Turkish politics which would be bad news. The time frame for Turkey's entry into the EU would naturally depend on the pace of reforms in the country. The two go hand in hand.

We need a sensible debate in Europe about Turkey's EU membership and not hysterical claims about Turkish Muslims invading our labour markets. Certainly, accepting Turkey into the EU will be a challenge - which I am sure Europe will rise up to. Snubbing Turkey, yet again, will be too great a risk to take.