HELSINKI. Dec 11: The European Union today linked Turkey's chances of joining its ranks to the fate of Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, who remains on death row. reports AFP.

"You know very well the importance the European countries attach to life,’’ EU high representative for foreign and security policy Javier Solana told a press conference at the EU summit in Helsinki.

"And you know that it would be very difficult to have a member of the European family that did not have the same respect for life." he said in response to a question about Ocalan and Turkey’s EU candidate status.

Solana met the press after

dashing to Ankara late Friday after EU leaders confirmed Turkey as a candidate for membership.

Asked if there were "any preconditions on the commutation of the death penalty" against Ocalan. Solana replied: "The only condition is the Copenhagen criteria" for Joining the

Those criteria, spelled out at a 1993 summit, include respect for human rights and protection of minority groups.

Solana said Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit was due in Helsinki around today to join leaders of other EU aspirant states for lunch with the EU heads of government and state.