France, Germany reiterate backing to Turkey’s EU bid

Despite public opposition in France and Germany, the two
country’s leaders have again expressed support for Turkey’s
quest for EU membership during a brief summit in Berlin.

France and Germany reiterated their backing for Turkey’s EU
membership bid during a summit meeting in Berlin on 26 October
between President Jacques Chirac of France, Chancellor Gerhard
Schröder of Germany and Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan. 

Chirac said that France will hold a referendum
on the issue and emphasised that negotiations with Ankara could
last 15 years. “These negotiations will naturally be long because
adapting all of Turkish law to the laws of the European Union will
demand a very major effort, particularly on Turkey’s part,”
said Chirac. 

“We are both of the opinion that on December 17 it is about a
decision that should give Turkey the opportunity to negotiate with
the (European) Commission with the explicit aim of Turkey joining
the European Union and with no other aim,”
said Schröder.

Erdogan reiterated his position that Turkey
would settle for nothing short of full EU membership. Earlier, he
spoke out against those EU countries that plan to hold a referendum
on Turkey’s EU membership. “No referendum has been organised to
approve the membership of a candidate country during preceding
enlargements,” he said, adding that Ankara “asks for only one
thing: to be treated exactly like everyone else”. France did in
fact hold a referendum in 1972 on enlarging the EU to include the
UK, Denmark and Ireland.

Both Chirac and Schröder’s statements run counter to evidence
from opinion polls in their respective
countries. The public’s opposition to Turkey’s accession to the EU
has been measured at 75 per cent, while in Germany the
opponents of the Turkish bid slightly outnumber the
proponents.

Leading German conservative politician Wolfgang
Schäuble voiced his opposition to Turkey’s accession. “A
full membership for Turkey will dramatically worsen or, basically,
destroy a real political union developed by a collective political
will,” he told ZDF television.

Meanwhile, the Czech Republic also expressed its support for
Turkey’s EU bid. “The [Czech] government’s will is clear, and
states that the process of talks will commence,” said Foreign
Minister Cyril Svoboda.

In Lisbon, Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio said that “the
possibility of the enlargement of the EU to include Turkey, even if
it is in 20 years, is a promising venture of mutual
interest”. 

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