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Turkey rejects Sarkozy's "Mediterranean Union"
 Turkey on Thursday refused to accept membership of a "Mediterranean Union" suggested by France's new president, Nicolas Sarkozy, as an alternative to joining the European Union. Sarkozy, who took office on Wednesday, is a strong opponent of Ankara's EU bid and has proposed instead a loose grouping of Mediterranean countries in which Turkey could be a key player. "Cooperation in the Mediterranean and cooperation in the EU are two different things. Turkey is a country that has begun EU negotiations and is in a negotiation process," Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told reporters. "Erecting obstacles to this negotiation process would mean not respecting signatures, commitments previously made. I do not expect this to happen." Earlier this week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Sarkozy that hostility toward Turkey's bid to join the European Union would fan anti-Europe sentiments among Turks and damage bilateral ties. "Mr. Sarkozy has to overcome his prejudices. ... If we are to unite civilizations within the EU, if we say the EU is not a Christian club, then Mr. Sarkozy should review his opinions," Erdogan said at the annual assembly of the media watchdog International Press Institute in Istanbul. "My people have concerns vis-à-vis the European Union. ... The negative stance of a country (on Turkey's accession) leads to a negative stance against that country here. A mistaken voice to be raised on this issue will change the Turkish peoples attitude toward France." Posted by: Fred 2007-05-19 |
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