AKI, Italy
March 26 2007

FRANCE: ROYAL CONDITIONALLY BACKS TURKEY’S EU BID

Paris, 26 March (AKI) – Socialist presidential candidate Segolene
Royal has stated she supports Turkey’s application to join the
European Union "in principle," but not until the 27-member bloc is
revitalised. "I support the bid in principle but not now because
Europe is stalled, and before expanding, we have to re-start it,"
says Royal in her new book, ‘Maintenanant’ (Now), published in France
on Tuesday.

Royal, who with conservative UMP party candidate Nicolas Sarkozy and
centrist UDF nominee Francois Bayrou are three current frontrunners
in France’s presidential race, is the only one have expressed support
for Ankara’s EU bid.

But like France’s president Jacques Chirac (from the UMP party),
Royal says in her book that French voters will have the final say in
a referendum, and "it will be the job of the head of state to to
defend their decision."

Royal had previously been criticised for "evasive" previous remarks
stating that her position on Turkey’s bid was "that of the French
people."

Royal said no "geographical" argument should be used against Turkey
joining the EU. "Turkey is not a territory but a political project,"
her book states. Religious arguments also do not hold up: "Europe is
not Christian club…. it contains millions of citizens who are
Muslims," she states.

Provided Turkey achieves the economic, democratic and other reforms
required of it by the EU, Europe has much to gain geopolitically by
admitting the country, "in a world haunted by a clash of
civilisations," Royal argues.

"Democrats in Turkey are ardently partisan, and their European
perspective helps to consolidate a Europe based on the rule of law.
It also helps combat those elements that want to deny the genocide of
the Armenians," Royal’s book states, referring to the killings of up
to 1.5 million Armenians they claim were carried out between
1915-1923 by Ottoman Turks.

Royal said last October that Turkey needs to recognise the mass
killings of Armenians as genocide if it wants to join the EU. Sarkozy
and Bayrou both back a ‘special partnership’ for Turkey with the EU
while far-right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen – currently trailing
fourth in opinion polls – rejects even this.

The presidential election is slated for 22 April with a run-off on 6
May.

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