European ministers in Luxembourg opened formal accession talks with Turkey on Monday after Cyprus threw up a surprising last-minute condition that had Turkish ministers stalling dramatically in Ankara. In the end -- after a lot of friction and embarrassment -- Cyprus agreed to let a ceremonial first day of talks go forward.

The Cypriots wanted Turkey to normalize relations with the divided island's Greek government before the talks could start -- a sudden condition that alarmed the Turkish government, which administers northern Cyprus in defiance of most world governments. The EU agreed to remind Ankara of its obligations toward Cyprus during future negotiations, which may take at least 10 years. Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul waited in Ankara to study the slight change in conditions before boarding his plane for Luxembourg; but in the end he joined the talks -- with a few-hours' delay -- and celebrated the first step in what promises to be a long and rocky path to Turkish EU membership.

Monday should have been formal and painless. Most of the ministers in Luxembourg wanted to let the first in a series of 35 "chapters," or discussion areas with Turkey, be opened and closed immediately. (The opening "Science and Research" chapter in EU talks is traditionally uncontroversial.) But Cyprus surprised other ministers by threatening to exercise its veto.

Turkey had signed a protocol with the European Union last year, promising to open its ports and airports to trade with new member states, including Cyprus. Turkey still hasn't implemented the deal because that would mean allowing Greek Cypriot ships and planes to use its ports and airports. Turkey refuses to do so until a crippling international embargo on the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state is lifted.

The EU on Monday agreed to remind Turkey about the protocol or face delays in "the overall progress in the negotiations." Cyprus then dropped its objections to starting the talks, and Gul boarded his plane for Luxembourg.

Cyprus joined the EU in May 2004, although it's been tensely divided between Greek and Turkish claims since 1974. Turkey occupies the northern third of the island, where many Turks don't want to live under Greek Cypriot rule.

One diplomat in Luxembourg told the British Telegraph that Cyprus' near-veto would inflame Turkish public opinion, which has already been shifting against the EU and toward militant nationalism. "We used to talk about (no membership for Turkey) before 2015," the diplomat said. "But now, I hear more and more people saying this cannot happen before 2020."