British and Swedish ministers have said Turkey’s membership in the European Union would strengthen the 27-nation bloc, raising voices for the Turkish accession at a time when the process appears to be approaching a breaking point.

“Membership for Turkey would enhance Europe’s economy, strengthen Europe’s influence and offer Europe the opportunity to extend and entrench democracy, human rights and the rule of law through modernizing and reforming Turkey’s political and economic structures in harmony with European institutions and European values,” Britain’s Minister for Europe David Lidington said at a meeting in Austria, where there is strong public opposition to Turkish membership.

Sweden’s Foreign Minister Carl Bildt also echoed Lidington during a speech in the Swedish parliament on foreign policy. “When it joins the EU upon fulfilling all the necessary criteria, Turkey will bring more power to the EU,” Bildt was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency.

Both Bildt and Lidington emphasized the importance of finding a solution to the Cyprus issue, with Bildt saying that a settlement will strengthen stability in the eastern Mediterranean and remove obstacles for more effective EU-NATO cooperation. “The status quo in Cyprus is a profoundly unattractive option - everyone loses. In contrast, the rewards of a settlement would be enormous - political, economic and security benefits not only to all Cypriots, of both communities, but to Turkey itself, to the rest of the Europe, and to the entire eastern Mediterranean region,” Today’s Zaman quoted Lidington as saying.