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EU group reiterates opposition to Turkey membership
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 10 - 01 - 2007


The new chairman of the
European Parliament's most powerful political group said on
Wednesday that Turkey should not be offered full membership of
the European Union, according to Reuters.
French lawmaker Joseph Daul, a close ally of French Interior
Minister and presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy, was elected
on Tuesday as chairman of the European People's Party (EPP),
which includes government parties from France and Germany.
Daul, a member of France's ruling UMP party, said he favours
"privileged partnership" rather than full membership of the
27-member bloc for mainly Muslim Turkey.
His views echo those of his predecessor.
"Turkey is not ready for EU membership and the EU is not
ready to absorb Turkey. If this happens, then they both will
lose," Daul told reporters.
"I accept that negotiations will continue and we should have
a partnership, but this should be a privileged one."
This was also the view of outgoing EPP chairman Hans-Gert
Poettering, set to be elected president of the European
Parliament next week. Poettering is a key supporter
of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The EU assembly, dominated by the centre-right EPP, holds
joint responsibility with the EU's council of member states for
deciding on a number of the Union's key policy areas, including
enlargement.
Late last year the European Union partially froze Turkey's
EU accession talks, launched in October 2005, over Ankara's
refusal to open its ports to EU member Cyprus.


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