TURKEY TO DECIDE ON MEDITERRANEAN INITIATIVE: REPORT
Agence France Presse — English
July 8, 2008 Tuesday 10:33 AM GMT
Turkey’s foreign minister said his country would likely decide on
whether to participate in a summit this weekend aimed at launching
a Mediterranean union following talks with the French president
Nicolas Sarkozy Enhanced Coverage LinkingNicolas Sarkozy -Search using:
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Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday to discuss the
issue, after which "the picture will become clearer," Ali Babacan
said during a visit to Malaysia, the Anatolia news agency reported.
"I believe we will make a decision after that telephone call…. We are
positive but I do not know what Sarkozy will tell the prime minister,"
he said.
Ankara has been hesitating about whether to embrace the Union for
the Mediterranean, an initiative spearheaded by Sarkozy, because of
doubts that it may be an attempt to delude the country’s European
Union membership prospects.
Sarkozy is a staunch opponent of Turkey’s EU accession and advocates a
"special partnership" rather than full membership — a proposal Ankara
categorically rejects.
Babacan explained that Turkish diplomats took part in a meeting last
week to draft a final resolution to be adopted at Sunday’s summit
and secured "significant" changes in the text. He did not give details.
"There are several more issues on which talks will continue," he said,
adding that diplomats would meet again to put the final touches on
the draft on the eve of the summit.
Sarkozy has invited leaders from about 40 countries, including Arab
nations and Israel, for the launch of the initiative, aimed at boosting
cooperation between EU and Mediterranean rim states.
"We are not jumping on this initiative, but at the same time we
are making preparations and keeping in touch" with the organisers,
a Turkish government official said, adding that other countries also
had reservations about the project.
Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi is the only leader so far to have snubbed
the invitation. He strongly criticised the idea of a Mediterranean
union last month, saying it threatened Arab and African unity efforts.
France’s vocal opposition to Turkey’s EU accession and attempts to
slow down its accession talks, coupled with pressure on Ankara to
recognise the killings of Armenians during World War I as genocide,
have cast a pall on bilaterel ties in recent years.
Turkey has accused French leaders of exploiting Turkey’s EU bid in
domestic politics despite the fact that Paris gave its consent to
the opening of membership talks with Ankara in 2005.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
