FORMER BELGIAN FM MICHEL SPEAKS IN SUPPORT OF TURKISH EU MEMBERSHIP

Hurriyet, Turkey
Oct 2 2006

Support for Turkey in the face of pressure from within the EU to accept
Armenian claims of genocide has come from EU Commission member and
former Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel. Speaking on the subject,
Michel said yesterday "New political criteria cannot be put in front
of Turkey for it to gain EU membership. Turkey has great importance
for the EU. It is enough just to look and see where energy lines
cross eachother to understand this."

Speaking in Brussels, Michel touched further on Turkey’s role in the
region, and how it was tied to what he called "the EU’s great need
for Turkey":

"Just look at the problems in the region. Take a glance at the problems
in Iraq, the greater Middle East, Iran. You will notice that Turkey
is a key country in this all…..There are parliamentarians from the
European Parliament who seem to behave as though Turkey will become
a member tomorrow. Turkey’s membership will take time, and we must
give the country time to prepare."