London ? For both parties it felt more like a shotgun wedding than a match made in heaven, but in the end the European Union proposed and Turkey accepted.

European political leaders agreed warily to begin formal membership talks with Turkey next October. In return, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accepted a compromise under which Ankara will extend a trade protocol to its Greek adversaries on the divided island of Cyprus.

The Greek half of Cyprus, which Turkey does not recognize, joined the EU earlier this year.

“The adoption of this protocol is in no way recognition, and I’ve put this on the record during my last speech” to the EU Council of Ministers, Erdogan said at a Friday news conference.

The last-minute squabble over Cyprus cast a shadow over what should have been a momentous occasion for both Europe and Turkey.

EU diplomats have long touted Turkey as the civilizational bridge between East and West. The invitation to begin accession talks was to be seen as proof of Europe’s multiculturalism, a bold statement in the post-Sept. 11, 2001, world that Europe sees no incompatibility between Islam and a modern democracy. For its part, Turkey has been waiting more than 40 years to be asked.

Supporters of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan wave Turkish and European Union flags as Erdogan arrives late Friday at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey. European Union leaders and Turkey agreed Friday on a compromise to overcome differences over Turkish recognition of Cyprus, clearing the way for the EU to open membership talks with the Muslim nation next October.

But Friday’s invitation was larded with qualifiers and caveats. The draft agreement makes clear that the talks will not automatically lead to membership and that they will be halted if Turkey backslides on the political and economic reforms required for EU membership. Even if all goes smoothly, the talks are expected to take 10 to 15 years.

Certainly, a country that is 99.8 percent Muslim, has 95 percent of its territory in Asia and shares borders with Syria, Iraq and Iran stretches the definition of “European.”

In addition to being the only Muslim member of the EU, Turkey would be the poorest and, eventually, the largest.