TURKISH-FRENCH RELATIONS ON THE RIGHT COURSE AFTER VISIT OF FAURE
The New Anatolian, Turkey
Sept 5 2007
Turkish officials told The New Anatolian on Tuesday that the visit of
French Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Philipee Faure is a continuation
of a new process to improve the chilly ties between the two countries.
Turkey has been angered after France vocally opposed Turkey’s
accession into the European Union as a full member and the French
Parliament moved to accept Armenian claims that Turks committed an
act of genocide against them at the turn of the last century.
Turkish officials said the visit was a part of the positive process
that started when President Nicholas Sarkozy’s special advisor visited
Ankara earlier in the summer.
Diplomatic sources told The New Anatolian the United States had a
role in the fence mending process. President George W. Bush hosted
his French counterpart Nicholas Sarkozy in the United States and
urged him to ease his opposition to Turkish membership in the EU.
Sources said Sarkozy agreed to make an effort and and kept his promise.
Faure held "political consultations" with Turkish Foreign Ministry
officials led by his Turkish counterpart Ertugrul Apakan.
Faure was also received by Foreign Minister and Chief Negotiator
Ali Babacan.
During the meeting, Faure conveyed French Foreign Minister Bernard
Kouchner’s congratulatory message to Babacan. Turkish sources said
Kouchner may visit Turkey in the near future.
He visit came at a time when French President Nicolas Sarkozy,
a staunch opponent of Turkish membership, softened his stance last
Monday, saying France would not block Turkey’s accession talks with
the EU.
Turkey began accession negotiations with the EU in 2005, but Brussels
froze the talks last year in eight of the 35 policy areas candidates
must complete.
The move was a response to Ankara’s refusal to grant trade privileges
to EU-member Cyprus, which it does not recognize.
However, in June France blocked talks in one chapter on monetary
issues saying this would amount to allowing more Turkish integration
into the EU economic system giving Ankara hope that the negotiations
would lead to full membership.
Faure’s meetings in Ankara focused on relations between Turkey and
France, Turkey’s membership negotiations with the EU and regional
matters led by Iraq.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit France and meet
French President Nicolas Sarkozy in the upcoming months, diplomatic
sources told The New Anatolian.
Meanwhile, the President of the EU Commission Jose Manuel Barroso said:
"the EU must fulfill its responsibilities vis-a-vis Turkey. We welcome
Sarkozy’s new stance on Turkey".
However, not all was bright and beautiful. Last week France also
spelled out five areas of Turkey’s accession talks with the EU that
it wants to hold up because they assume the large, poor, mainly Muslim
nation will eventually join the 27-nation bloc.
They include agricultural subsidies and regional aid – the EU’s two
biggest spending programs – as well as the euro and Turkey’s place in
institutions such as the European Parliament, and European citizenship
rights for Turks.
The EU agreed unanimously in 2004 to open negotiations with Turkey
with the aim of membership, and the executive European Commission
rejects the distinction made by France between chapters that imply
membership and others that do not.
However, the Commission welcomed Sarkozy’s willingness to allow
talks with Ankara to go forward, and officials said there was a tacit
understanding that the EU executive would not recommend opening talks
on chapters it knew Paris opposed.
In June, France blocked the opening of talks between Ankara and
Brussels on economic and monetary policy – the groundwork for Turkey
to eventually adopt the euro – underlining Sarkozy’s oft-repeated
opposition to Turkey joining the EU.
Government spokesman Laurent Wauquiez said the five problem areas
should be discussed after the 30 other chapters.
Asked when that was, Martinon said: "When we will have settled the
30 others."
Sarkozy made clear last Monday that he would allow talks go ahead
on other policy areas provided a group of "wise people" is set up
to discuss the longer-term future of Europe, including how far its
borders should stretch.
He said the panel should report back before European Parliament
elections in 2009.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
