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SARKOZY FIRM AGAINST TURKEY EU BID
Aljazeera.net
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Sarkozy and Gul jointly opened a major Paris exhibition on Istanbul
[AFP]
Abdullah Gul, the Turkish president, and Nicolas Sarkozy, his French
counterpart, have vowed to boost business and diplomatic ties although
Gul failed to dent French opposition to his country's bid to join
the European Union.
On the third and final day of a visit to Paris, Gul held a working
lunch at the Elysee palace with Sarkozy, who has spearheaded a drive
to keep, mainly Muslim, Turkey out of the bloc.
Sarkozy's office said the two leaders had agreed not to let their
differences on Ankara's EU bid "poison wider relations between the
two countries".
During their talks, the French president also praised Turkey and
Armenia for burying their long-standing differences over the mass
killings of Armenians under the Ottoman empire.
His remarks came ahead of an agreement normalising relations between
Turkey and Armenia to be signed in Switzerland on Saturday.
Nuclear proposal
With regard to Turkey's EU ambitions, Sarkozy reaffirmed "in a very
frank manner the French position" while Gul "recalled Turkey's views
in just a frank and friendly manner," the Elysee said.
"All issues were raised in a good spirit of co-operation and mutual
respect," the office said.
The Turkish president gave no media statement after the hour-long
meeting, but the Elysee said that the talks had "concluded with a
resolve to work more closely together, in all fields both diplomatic
and economic".
The French president suggested that Paris and Ankara could work on
civilian nuclear energy, according to the Elysee, saying that Gul
had welcomed the idea as "very encouraging".
Gul also told Sarkozy that Turkey would welcome GDF Suez, a
French-based energy company, back to the EU-led Nabucco pipeline
project linking Central Asia to Europe, after the company was sidelined
from the six-nation consortium early last year.
Officials suggested at the tim ch parliament's decision to recognise
as genocide the killings of 1.5 million Armenians, according to the
Armenian government, during and after the first world war.
Gul assured Sarkozy that "French companies are welcome in the project,"
the Elysee said.
Paris exhibition
Earlier Gul and Sarkozy jointly opened a major Paris exhibition on
Istanbul, the flagship event in a season of events celebrating Turkish
history and culture in France.
The Turkish leader also met Francois Fillon, the French prime minister,
during his Paris stay, with both calling for France and Turkey to
step up reciprocal business investments.
Turkey began membership negotiations for the EU in 2005, but has so
far opened talks in only 11 of the 35 policy areas that candidates
must complete, while France, Germany and other EU members have sought
to slow or halt the process.
Sarkozy says Turkey, of which only a small portion is geographically
in Europe, should settle for a partnership agreement.
Aljazeera.net
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Sarkozy and Gul jointly opened a major Paris exhibition on Istanbul
[AFP]
Abdullah Gul, the Turkish president, and Nicolas Sarkozy, his French
counterpart, have vowed to boost business and diplomatic ties although
Gul failed to dent French opposition to his country's bid to join
the European Union.
On the third and final day of a visit to Paris, Gul held a working
lunch at the Elysee palace with Sarkozy, who has spearheaded a drive
to keep, mainly Muslim, Turkey out of the bloc.
Sarkozy's office said the two leaders had agreed not to let their
differences on Ankara's EU bid "poison wider relations between the
two countries".
During their talks, the French president also praised Turkey and
Armenia for burying their long-standing differences over the mass
killings of Armenians under the Ottoman empire.
His remarks came ahead of an agreement normalising relations between
Turkey and Armenia to be signed in Switzerland on Saturday.
Nuclear proposal
With regard to Turkey's EU ambitions, Sarkozy reaffirmed "in a very
frank manner the French position" while Gul "recalled Turkey's views
in just a frank and friendly manner," the Elysee said.
"All issues were raised in a good spirit of co-operation and mutual
respect," the office said.
The Turkish president gave no media statement after the hour-long
meeting, but the Elysee said that the talks had "concluded with a
resolve to work more closely together, in all fields both diplomatic
and economic".
The French president suggested that Paris and Ankara could work on
civilian nuclear energy, according to the Elysee, saying that Gul
had welcomed the idea as "very encouraging".
Gul also told Sarkozy that Turkey would welcome GDF Suez, a
French-based energy company, back to the EU-led Nabucco pipeline
project linking Central Asia to Europe, after the company was sidelined
from the six-nation consortium early last year.
Officials suggested at the tim ch parliament's decision to recognise
as genocide the killings of 1.5 million Armenians, according to the
Armenian government, during and after the first world war.
Gul assured Sarkozy that "French companies are welcome in the project,"
the Elysee said.
Paris exhibition
Earlier Gul and Sarkozy jointly opened a major Paris exhibition on
Istanbul, the flagship event in a season of events celebrating Turkish
history and culture in France.
The Turkish leader also met Francois Fillon, the French prime minister,
during his Paris stay, with both calling for France and Turkey to
step up reciprocal business investments.
Turkey began membership negotiations for the EU in 2005, but has so
far opened talks in only 11 of the 35 policy areas that candidates
must complete, while France, Germany and other EU members have sought
to slow or halt the process.
Sarkozy says Turkey, of which only a small portion is geographically
in Europe, should settle for a partnership agreement.