Mideast Mirror
March 4, 2005
Turkish press
[parts omitted]
EU-FRANCE: Ergin Sedat comments on anti-Turkish sentiments in France
in Hurriyet: “The recent constitutional change in France creates a
real possibility that Turkey’s full membership may be prevented in
the future. French decision-makers have placed a very influential
weapon in the hands of anti-EU groups in Turkey. The referendum will
create a situation whereby the demands of the French public and
politicians on Turkey will be hard to resist. Accepting claims over
the issue of the ‘Armenian genocide’ is included in that. As a
result, France can exhaust Turkey in the full membership process.”
Fikret Bila comments on the same issue in the centrist Milliyet:
“France has already taken measures against Turkish membership. Turkey
is trying to improve its EU process under these circumstances.
However, there are no negotiations and there will not be any. As was
the case while fulfilling all the pre-conditions, Turkey will face
the dilemma of ‘either accepting or walking out’ during the
negotiation process-especially when its chances of membership are
already very small. The double-standards that the EU is applying to
Turkey are continuing after 17 December when Turkey got a date for
accession talks .”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress