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Chirac to make case on TV for EU-Turkey talks
The Guardian - United Kingdom
Dec 15, 2004
JON HENLEY IN PARIS
President Jacques Chirac is so concerned about French hostility to
Turkey joining the EU that he has taken the step of asking to be
interviewed on the subject on the TF1 television news tonight.
Two days before EU leaders are expected to propose the start of formal
entry talks with Ankara, Mr Chirac, facing political isolation in
France, "will try to inform the public and explain what's at stake", a
spokesman said.
Yesterday the Turkish prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, said he would
not hesitate to reject entry talks if "unacceptable issues" were
raised.
One such might be France asking Turkey to acknowledge its genocide of
Armenians in the early years of the 20th century, a highly contentious
issue between the two countries.
But the French foreign minister, Michel Barnier, appeared to back away
from this yesterday, despite saying on Tuesday that France might
consider making this a precondition.
A survey published on Monday confirmed the public opposition to
Turkish accession: 67% of those questioned, including 71% of
conservative voters and 61% of leftwingers, disapproved.
That puts Mr Chirac, who has repeatedly backed Turkey's bid for
accession but admitted openly in Britain last month that the question
was "a real problem in France", in a very delicate position.
At home he finds himself out of step not only with the voters and many
senior opposition Socialists, but also with most members of his own
centre-right UMP, including its newly installed and highly ambitious
leader, Nicolas Sarkozy, a probable rival in the 2007 presidential
election.
Although he has promised voters the opportunity to veto Turkey's
accession when the moment comes in another 10 years or so, he is
worried that their fears will affect the outcome of next year's
referendum on the EU constitution.
Popular rejection of the constitution would be a heavy blow to his
possible quest for a third term in office.
But changing tack on Turkey to appease the public would leave him
exposed in the EU, angering his allies and further diminishing French
influence.
As a former prime minister, Eduard Balladur, said this week: "Europe
is no longer just foreign policy. A good part of it is now domestic
policy."
The reservations most commonly cited by French voters are
straightforward: the risk of Turkish immigrants entering the EU job
market (the most important factor for 40% of the poll's respondents),
and the fact that most of Turkey's 70 million citizens are Muslims
(25% of the poll).
There is also concern about Ankara's human rights record, including
its refusal to recognise the Armenian genocide.
But Mr Barnier said yesterday that the genocide was "not a condition
that we are setting on the opening of negotiations, like the ones that
the heads of state will discuss on Thursday and Friday".
France would bring it up in the first round of talks, likely to begin
next year. When the time came Turkey should face up to the need to
recognise "this tragedy".
He added: "The European project itself is founded on the idea of
reconciliation.
"We have 10 years to ask it; the Turks have 10 years to think about
their response."
But Ankara has made it clear that there is no question of it
recognising the genocide, which it denies.
The success of Mr Chirac's attempt to win over French voters,
stressing less the advantages to the EU than the fact that entry talks
will not automatically lead to membership, is by no means certain.
He has already angered Turkish leaders and upset his main EU partners
by suggesting that the talks should be delayed until late next year,
and by floating - with Austria - the idea that Brussels should hold
out to Ankara a form of privileged partnership or "third way" if it
fails to meet the full EU criteria.
The Guardian - United Kingdom
Dec 15, 2004
JON HENLEY IN PARIS
President Jacques Chirac is so concerned about French hostility to
Turkey joining the EU that he has taken the step of asking to be
interviewed on the subject on the TF1 television news tonight.
Two days before EU leaders are expected to propose the start of formal
entry talks with Ankara, Mr Chirac, facing political isolation in
France, "will try to inform the public and explain what's at stake", a
spokesman said.
Yesterday the Turkish prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, said he would
not hesitate to reject entry talks if "unacceptable issues" were
raised.
One such might be France asking Turkey to acknowledge its genocide of
Armenians in the early years of the 20th century, a highly contentious
issue between the two countries.
But the French foreign minister, Michel Barnier, appeared to back away
from this yesterday, despite saying on Tuesday that France might
consider making this a precondition.
A survey published on Monday confirmed the public opposition to
Turkish accession: 67% of those questioned, including 71% of
conservative voters and 61% of leftwingers, disapproved.
That puts Mr Chirac, who has repeatedly backed Turkey's bid for
accession but admitted openly in Britain last month that the question
was "a real problem in France", in a very delicate position.
At home he finds himself out of step not only with the voters and many
senior opposition Socialists, but also with most members of his own
centre-right UMP, including its newly installed and highly ambitious
leader, Nicolas Sarkozy, a probable rival in the 2007 presidential
election.
Although he has promised voters the opportunity to veto Turkey's
accession when the moment comes in another 10 years or so, he is
worried that their fears will affect the outcome of next year's
referendum on the EU constitution.
Popular rejection of the constitution would be a heavy blow to his
possible quest for a third term in office.
But changing tack on Turkey to appease the public would leave him
exposed in the EU, angering his allies and further diminishing French
influence.
As a former prime minister, Eduard Balladur, said this week: "Europe
is no longer just foreign policy. A good part of it is now domestic
policy."
The reservations most commonly cited by French voters are
straightforward: the risk of Turkish immigrants entering the EU job
market (the most important factor for 40% of the poll's respondents),
and the fact that most of Turkey's 70 million citizens are Muslims
(25% of the poll).
There is also concern about Ankara's human rights record, including
its refusal to recognise the Armenian genocide.
But Mr Barnier said yesterday that the genocide was "not a condition
that we are setting on the opening of negotiations, like the ones that
the heads of state will discuss on Thursday and Friday".
France would bring it up in the first round of talks, likely to begin
next year. When the time came Turkey should face up to the need to
recognise "this tragedy".
He added: "The European project itself is founded on the idea of
reconciliation.
"We have 10 years to ask it; the Turks have 10 years to think about
their response."
But Ankara has made it clear that there is no question of it
recognising the genocide, which it denies.
The success of Mr Chirac's attempt to win over French voters,
stressing less the advantages to the EU than the fact that entry talks
will not automatically lead to membership, is by no means certain.
He has already angered Turkish leaders and upset his main EU partners
by suggesting that the talks should be delayed until late next year,
and by floating - with Austria - the idea that Brussels should hold
out to Ankara a form of privileged partnership or "third way" if it
fails to meet the full EU criteria.