Turkish Press
July 19 2004

Turkish P.M. Hopes For Continued French Backing For E.U. Bid
AFP: 7/19/2004

PARIS, July 19 (AFP) – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
said Monday that his country wanted France to continue to back its
bid to become a member of the European Union, an ambition that will
enter a critical phase at the end of this year.

“In this area of course we want all the backing that France has
brought to us, and in particular through President (Jacques) Chirac,
to continue in the future,” he told reporters after meeting his
French counterpart Jean-Pierre Raffarin at the start of a three-day
visit to France.

A crucial period is approaching for Turkey’s application bid, with
the European Commission due to give its opinion in October on a
possible opening of negotiations, followed by a decision in December
by European leaders on whether enough progress has been made towards
the EU’s reform demands.

“On European questions, the Turkish Prime Minister outlined to me all
the reform efforts undertaken by his country to meet the … criteria
laid down by the EU,” Raffarin said.

“We shall study with the greatest attention the report of the
Commission this autumn and we want the European Council to take a
decision in December on this important issue,” he added.

“We have a large number of common points of view on international
matters.”

Other subjects discussed included cultural links between the two
countries. About 400,000 Turks live in France who, in Erdogan’s view,
“should be a bridge between the two nations.” About the same number
of French tourists visited Turkey last year and the total is expected
to rise to 600,000 this year.

Industrial cooperation was also discussed.

The prime minister, whose Justice and Development Party (AKP) has
Islamist origins, is due to lunch with Chirac Tuesday after a meeting
with business leaders. He will also see the heads of the three main
political parties before leaving Wednesday.

Erdogan is expected to use the French visit to build up support in
the European country which has seen probably the most heated public
debate over the suitability for the EU of a predominantly Muslim,
albeit secular nation.

While Chirac has indicated in recent speeches that he now regards
Ankara’s progress to EU membership as “irreversible” and spoken of
its “historic and very ancient European vocation”, many in his own
government are deeply opposed to its accession.

In addition opinion polls indicate that a majority of the population
is against Turkey’s admission to the 25-nation body.

“The opposition comes in various forms: fear of Islam and immigrants
at one end, fear of seeing Europe dissolve into a vast free-trade
zone for others,” said Eddy Fougier of French Institute for
International Relations (IFRI).

France also has a large Armenian community of some 450,000 people,
whose pressure in 2001 secured the official recognition by the French
parliament of the Armenian genocide. This remains a highly
contentious issue between Ankara and Paris.

The opposition Socialist party said Monday it supports Turkish entry
“as long as the accession criteria are respected,” but both Chirac’s
ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and its junior partner the
Union for French Democracy (UDF) are sceptical.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress