Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
March 3 2005

“We’ll be pleased to see Turkey in EU”

French Ambassador in Ankara Paul Poudade said, ”we will be pleased
to see Turkey in EU”.

Poudade visited Bursa Metropolitan Mayor Hikmet Sahin on Thursday.

”We are pleased that Turkey got a date for EU entry talks. It will
be a long path but I believe everything will be good,” said Poudade.

Replying questions of reporters, Poudade said, ”EU entry talks with
Turkey will start on October 3rd. This will be a long negotiation
process for Turkey’s adjustment to the EU. We should wait for the
talks to start. We will be pleased to see Turkey in EU. The result is
up to Turkey.”

Poudade later visited Bursa Governor Oguz Kagan Koksal.

When Koksal asked for the support of France to Turkey for its EU
membership bid, Poudade said, ”the French President clearly
expressed his support to Turkey’s negotiation process.”

There is a strong anti-Turkish lobbying in France. The rightist and
anti-Muslim groups with Armenian lobbies make efforts to prevent
Turkey’s membership. The rightiest political groups claim that there
is no place in Europe to a Muslim state.

(AA and Hurriyet, JTW)