Briefing members of the foreign affairs committee of the French National Assembly on Tuesday, Lellouche said an implicit agreement was reached during President Abdullah Gül’s meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris last month, noting that the agreement aimed at “easing” problems concerning Turkey’s EU membership process, the Anatolia news agency reported.Gül had paid an official visit to Paris last month, where he and his French counterpart, Sarkozy, together opened an exhibition at Paris’ Grand Palais as part of the Season of Turkey in France.
Sarkozy believes that Turkey does not belong in Europe and proposes instead a privileged partnership that falls short of membership in the 27-nation EU, while the Turkish leadership categorically rejects any formula that does not include full membership in the European bloc.
During their meeting last month, the French and Turkish presidents reached an unwritten agreement based on “mutual compromise on three issues for easing problems stemming from the parties’ positions,” Lellouche was quoted by Anatolia as telling members of the foreign affairs committee.
The first compromise is an undeclared acceptance that France continues to oppose accession of Turkey into the EU, Lellouche said. “The second issue is the continuation of [membership] negotiations. This is in the best interest of everybody and Turkey. A contemporary and democratic Turkey is in the best interest of the EU,” the French minister was quoted as saying by the agency. He cited the third issue on which the two parties agreed as a mutual will for increasing bilateral political, economical and strategic relations to the highest level.
The EU opened accession negotiations with Turkey in October 2005. Countries hoping to join the bloc must fulfill EU requirements in 35 policy negotiating areas, or chapters. Ankara has so far formally opened 11 chapters. In 2006, while blocking eight chapters of the accession negotiations with Ankara due to its refusal to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot traffic, the European Council said it would review the situation at the end of 2009. France has, meanwhile, blocked another five chapters that are directly linked to full membership.
Last week, during an official visit to the French capital, where he had talks with senior officials, including his counterpart, Bernard Kouchner, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu described the French government’s opposition to Turkey’s European ambitions as a grave mistake. “No one can force us to accept an option like a special partnership. We’re not looking for a favor or special treatment, just for agreements to be respected. The European Union’s key selling point is its respect for agreements. It’s thanks to that principle that the EU has a draw. If it loses that, it loses all its legitimacy,” he said.
