Awwal 22, 1432 H/Feb 25, 2011, SPA -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Ankara Friday on his first visit to Turkey, during which he is scheduled to meet President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to dpa. Sarkozy has expressed strong reservations about Turkey's bid for membership to the European Union and has said it should be given a "privileged partnership" status instead. "I believe it is necessary to have close ties between Turkey and the European Union as much as possible without going any further for full membership, which in fact could be beneficial for neither Turkey nor the EU," Sarkozy said in an interview published Thursday. Turkish officials expressed disappointment that Sarkozy's visit would last just six hours, with Erdogan saying Turkish-French relations deserved better. While Sarkozy is in Turkey in his capacity as the leader of the country that currently holds the G20 presidency, he was expected to discuss issues unrelated to the group of 20 emerging and developed economies. Sarkozy was expected to visit the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding father of the Turkish Republic, in Ankara.
