Turkey Leads French Agenda
Zaman Online, Turkey
Dec 21 2004
Ankara is still the focus of the French agenda which has declared
it will organize a referendum on Turkey’s European Union (EU)
membership. The General Assembly of the French Parliament is expected
to discuss Turkey’s EU membership in a forum today. French Foreign
Minister Michel Barnier said in a statement on RTL radio, “We will
raise all the issues including the Armenian genocide during the long
and difficult membership negotiations before a decision is made on
Turkey’s membership bid.” Barnier used the expression “Armenian
genocide” for the second time following its use at the National
Parliament last week. The French Foreign Ministry said Barnier did
not use that expression saying, “He just misinterpreted when he was
repeating a question asked by a member of parliament.”
A public opinion poll published in Le Figaro, a French daily newspaper,
revealed that 52 percent of participants support French President
Jacques Chirac’s position on Turkey. The Speaker of the opposing
Socialist Party, Julien Dray, said there is a risk that Turkey’s
membership will be mixed up with the EU Constitution.