The question of Turkish EU membership was called into question anew Sunday when the leaders of Germany and France both questioned the wisdom of such a move during a meeting of young political leaders from their countries, according to dpa. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it does not make sense for the European Union to continuously expand if the growth leaves the union unable to operate. Her comments came at the Sunday evening meeting in Berlin of young leaders from the conservative parties of Germany and France. She said she would prefer that Turkey receive a privileged partnership with the EU, rather than full membership. At the same meeting, French President Nicolas Sarkozy told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag that "We need a well-organized Europe ... That means we cannot expand without borders. We shouldn't make any empty promises to Turkey." As an alternative, Sarkozy proposed a large joint economic area, noting that a similar concept might work to bind Russia closer to the EU. Merkel struck a similar tone, saying that the EU does not want to ignore the East, but needs to remain operational. On a different note, Sarkozy also said he supports Germany's call for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
