|
ALTINKUM DIDIM HOMES
Apartments, Villas, Land For Sale in Altinkum Didim Akbuk, Turkey,
ALTINKUM DIDIM REHBERI
Altinkum Didim and Akbuk Business Listing
ALTINKUM DIDIM DIRECTORY
Altinkum Didim and Akbuk Directory Listing
ALTINKUM DIDIM TODAY
You can adverties here now. All you need to the do is contact us Today
ALTINKUM DIDIM HOSTING
Altinkum Didim Hosting and Domain Names. Free Domain name with every account
|
|
|
Home »
National News
» French President Nicolas Sarkozy has made opposition to Turkey's membership a key part of his European policy |
|
|
| | |
|
 | |  |
|
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has made opposition to Turkey's membership a key part of his European policy
"It is very difficult to open a new divisive debate when we are having one which is not finished," Foreign Minister Luis Amado said Saturday in reference to the stormy progress made toward a new reform treaty by the 27 member nations.
Portugal's Prime Minister Jose Socrates supports Turkish membership of the EU and wants to continue membership negotiations, which are strongly opposed by Sarkozy who believes Muslim-majority Turkey, straddling the continents of Europe and Asia, is not a real European country.
France has insisted however that it wants a debate on Europe's future borders to be opened this year. Foreign ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said Thursday that "we will discuss with our partners, in particular the Portuguese presidency, on the manner in which this debate can take place."
Socrates, who is joined by Britain, Sweden and Spain in backing Turkey, said that talks with Turkey will have a "strategic importance" for EU "relations with the Muslim world."
Following laborious talks within the 27, the EU has resumed official negotiations with Turkey, even though its membership is not guaranteed. Diplomats estimate that it could take 10-15 years to reach a result.
Last week, the bloc opened talks on "statistics" and "financial control" but decided not to begin negotiations on "economic and monetary policy" as planned amid opposition from France.
Socrates has said he hopes the negotiations can be widened during the Portuguese presidency to new areas of the 35 "chapters" to be concluded.
He did not say what areas these could be and any new talks would have to be agreed unanimously by the 27.
Portugal and the European Commission, the EU administrative arm, have sought to put pressure on Sarkozy over his hardline stand on Turkey.
France has raised the possibility of setting up a working group on EU expansion and some diplomats say this could be a way of taking the sting out of the debate by delaying bringing the topic.
| |
 | |  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thirteen Turkish soldiers were killed Sunday in an attack by PKK
|
|
|
|
|
