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One More Knife in the Back for Turkey. For Good Measure.....
Chirac says Turkey may not make it to EU
Cue Nelson Muntz: Ha Ha!
French President Jacques Chirac cautioned on Friday that Turkey might never reach the standards required for European Union membership and the bloc might have to find an alternative way to tie it to Europe. Chirac reaffirmed that he fully supported delaying things as long as possible opening accession negotiations with Ankara, as recommended by the executive European Commission, and hoped Turkey would just go away already eventually join the 25-nation bloc. But in what appeared to be a nod to widespread hostility to Turkish membership in France, which has dented his already plummeting popularity, he told a news conference at an EU summit that the outcome of the process was uncertain. "Naturellement one can't underestimate the possibility that in a few years' time we come to realise that ... the road that Turkey has to travel doesn't permit it to adopt all the values of Europe," he said. "In that case, what has to be found is a means to create a sufficiently strong link so that there is no separation between Europe and Turkey, without there being integration."| Oui, M. le President. Separate but almost equal. |
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul played down Chirac's remarks, saying they reflected French domestic politics. "President Chirac is very wise, he's handled it very wisely, he's a great statesman. I think his statement should not be misread," he told Reuters. | "See? I'm smiling, here. My teeth are clenched, but I'm smiling. Smile smile smile." |
Gul told reporters he was following the French debate on Turkish membership and saw it as an internal matter, but he hoped it would be kept separate from a debate on the ratification of a constitutional treaty for the bloc. Chirac's own conservative UMP party has opposed Turkish EU membership, as has the centre-right UDF party and some of the opposition Socialists. The president said the issues should be examined calmly a few years after Turkey has begun negotiations and not made subject to "politicians' squabbling."| "These things take time. And long, long lunches." |
Germany's opposition Christian Democrats say the EU should negotiate a "privileged partnership" instead of full membership. Diplomats said Chirac's comments did not call into question an expected EU decision on Dec. 17 to begin open-ended accession talks with Turkey next year.
Posted by: danking70 2004-11-05 |
