Turkey's 42-year quest to join the European Union is in the balance this weekend as Austria and its EU partners engage in brinkmanship over Vienna's calls to offer Ankara less than full membership.

EU foreign ministers will meet on Sunday night to resolve the impasse, just hours before membership talks begin on Monday. Ankara has repeatedly warned that it will not begin the talks, expected to last 10 years, unless the EU offers only full membership, as it has promised in the past.