French FM announces talks on Turkey's EU bid

Bernard Kouchner says he would meet his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan to discuss Ankara's bid to join the EU.

Izvor: AFP

Wednesday, 26.09.2007.

10:07

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Bernard Kouchner says he would meet his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan to discuss Ankara's bid to join the EU. The French foreign minister said on Tuesday he and French President Nicolas Sarkozy "spent one-hour-and-a-half with Prime Minister (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan yesterday and we decided that the Turkish foreign minister and I will be in charge to establish a sort of working group to consider the whole possibilities" on Turkey's EU membership. French FM announces talks on Turkey's EU bid Speaking at the US think tank Council on Foreign Relations, Kouchner said he was among those who convinced Sarkozy, who has spoken out against Turkey joining the EU, to not put a spanner in Turkey's membership negotiations. The French foreign minister said he thought it would be a mistake not to accept a moderate Muslim country such as Turkey as this would play into the hands of radical Islamists. Sarkozy said last week he did not believe Turkey belongs in the EU, and that "what I wish to offer Turkey is a true partnership with Europe, it is not integration with Europe." Kouchner said: "The French position is very clear: we have time." Of the 35 chapters, or policy areas, in EU membership negotiations "only five suppose the integration inside the European Union, and 30 may be accepted as a sort of partnership. So we'll open the 30 first and it will take years and years," he said. "Meanwhile we have good relations with Turkey," said Kouchner, who along with Sarkozy was in New York for the UN General Assembly session. Turkey began EU accession negotiations in October 2005 but it has only managed to open four of the 35 chapters that all candidates must complete to join. Turkey's talks are expected to last at least a decade, with no guarantee of membership at the end of it all. In addition to a lack of enthusiasm for the prospect of Turkey joining the EU in some member countries, the process has also been hampered by Ankara's refusal to open its ports and airports to ships and planes from EU member Cyprus.

French FM announces talks on Turkey's EU bid

Speaking at the US think tank Council on Foreign Relations, Kouchner said he was among those who convinced Sarkozy, who has spoken out against Turkey joining the EU, to not put a spanner in Turkey's membership negotiations.

The French foreign minister said he thought it would be a mistake not to accept a moderate Muslim country such as Turkey as this would play into the hands of radical Islamists.

Sarkozy said last week he did not believe Turkey belongs in the EU, and that "what I wish to offer Turkey is a true partnership with Europe, it is not integration with Europe."

Kouchner said: "The French position is very clear: we have time."

Of the 35 chapters, or policy areas, in EU membership negotiations "only five suppose the integration inside the European Union, and 30 may be accepted as a sort of partnership. So we'll open the 30 first and it will take years and years," he said.

"Meanwhile we have good relations with Turkey," said Kouchner, who along with Sarkozy was in New York for the UN General Assembly session.

Turkey began EU accession negotiations in October 2005 but it has only managed to open four of the 35 chapters that all candidates must complete to join.

Turkey's talks are expected to last at least a decade, with no guarantee of membership at the end of it all.

In addition to a lack of enthusiasm for the prospect of Turkey joining the EU in some member countries, the process has also been hampered by Ankara's refusal to open its ports and airports to ships and planes from EU member Cyprus.

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