BELGIUM/FRANCE: TURKEY WILL ACCEPT NOTHING LESS THAN FULL EUROPEAN UNION MEMBERSHIP
Record ID:
646787
BELGIUM/FRANCE: TURKEY WILL ACCEPT NOTHING LESS THAN FULL EUROPEAN UNION MEMBERSHIP
- Title: BELGIUM/FRANCE: TURKEY WILL ACCEPT NOTHING LESS THAN FULL EUROPEAN UNION MEMBERSHIP
- Date: 28th September 2004
- Summary: (EU) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (SEPTEMBER 28, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV OF THE TURKISH EMBASSY 0.03 2. CLOSE UP OF TURKISH FLAG 0.08 3. SLV OF TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO THE EU OGUZ DEMIRALP AND REPORTERS 0.15 4. MCU (English) TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO THE EUROPEAN UNION OGUZ DEMIRALP SAYING: "Turkey has already been declared as a country destined to join the EU (in 1999 he said earlier), and I should add that the motivation for reforms in Turkey has come from this declaration, not from the status of special partnership, because the status of special partnership, the continuation of this status cannot be accepted by the Turkish people, because Turkish people cannot accept a second-class European ticket." 0.45 5. SV JOURNALISTS LISTENING 0.49 6. MCU (English) DEMIRALP SAYING: "Europe is not based on one religion, Europe is not based on the difference of religions. Europe is based on universal values, Europe is based on the freedom of religion and Turkey shares those values. And that is the historic meaning of making Turkey an EU member. It will show to the world that EU is not based on Christian values but on universal values. Rule of law, freedom of speech, democracy are universal values. They are even applicable in a Muslim country. So, it will be a very strong message to the rest of the world. That is the message needed by today's world." 1.37 7. SV JOURNALISTS LISTENING 1.42 8. MCU (English) DEMIRALP (speaking about the idea of organising a European referendum on Turkey membership) SAYING: "Turkey should not be discriminated (against). Turkey should be treated like all other candidate countries and I do not share these ideas about making special referendum on Turkey. That is nonsense." 2.08 9. SV DEMIRALP AND REPORTERS (2 SHOTS) 2.12 10. MCU (English) DEMIRALP SAYING: "Of course what you refer to is the possible derogation regarding freedom of movement of Turkey. We are ready to discuss this issue, we are not close to decide yes. We can already assure our German friends that there will be no mass emigration from Turkey to Germany and indeed all the scientific studies show that such an immigration will not take place, because first of all the conditions in Turkey will improve. And if the conditions in Turkey improve, I don't know how many Turks would like to come and live under the rain." 2.55 11. SLV DEMIRALP AND REPORTERS 2.59 (EU)PARIS, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 28, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 12. CU FRONT PAGE OF LE FIGARO NEWSPAPER WITH LINE SAYING: "POLL SAYS NO TO TURKEY'S ENTRANCE TO THE EU" 3.07 13. CU ARTICLES ON LE FIGARO ABOUT POLL (4 SHOTS) 3.19 14. LV/SLV TRAFFIC AND PEOPLE IN PARIS STREET (2 SHOTS) 3.28 15. MCU (French) DORIEN PELLIER SAYING: "I am completely against it because I consider that, geographically speaking, Turkey is not in Europe and we have to geographically limit Europe to countries which are originally European. I believe when a country has an eighth of its territory in Europe and seven eighths in Asia, then it's not a European country. It's not a problem of religion, because there are Muslims in France as in Europe. It's a problem of geography and economy. We are not going to extend Europe... if we do, why not Africa and other continents?" 4.02 16. SV DORIEN PELLIER WALKING AWAY IN THE STREET 4.05 17. MCU (French) JEAN PIERRE DESBONNET SAYING: "(I am against it) above all, because of religious fundamentalism; on the other hand, we are not better here, but there's something that worries me about (Turkey joining the European Union)." 4.15 18. MCU (French) CORINNE LANY SAYING: ""I have no problem with Turkey's entry into the EU. It is the same situation as with Poland and all the other countries which joined Europe. On the contrary, it strengthens Europe with a different spirit, different populations, and that can only be a good thing for Europe." 4.38 19. LV PARIS STREETS WITH TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIANS (2 SHOTS) 4.52 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 13th October 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BRUSSELS,BELGIUM/PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVACN3Q0ZIED8XUKMN8NCIR0CS5E
- Story Text: Turkey will accept nothing less than full EU
membership, Turkish ambassador to EU says, as poll results
show majority of French citizens oppose Turkey's admission
to the EU.
Turkey will accept nothing less than full membership
of the European Union if the bloc's executive recommends
next week opening entry talks, Ankara's ambassador to the
EU said on Tuesday (September 28).
Oguz Demiralp rejected proposals by some European
political parties, deeply sceptical of admitting a poor,
largely Muslim nation of 70 million, that Ankara should be
offered a "special partnership" instead of full membership.
Demiralp said Turkey had already had an Association
Agreement with the bloc for 40 years, and was deeply
integrated in defence, security policy, and in bodies such
as the Environment Agency and a swathe of foreign policy
initiatives.
"Turkey has already been declared as a country destined
to join the EU (in 1999 he said earlier), and I should add
that the motivation for reforms in Turkey has come from
this declaration, not from the status of special
partnership, because the status of special partnership, the
continuation of this status cannot be accepted by the
Turkish people, because Turkish people cannot accept a
second class European ticket", Demiralp said.
Demiralp countered arguments against Turkish accession
to the EU on grounds that it is a Muslim, not a Christian
nation, saying "Europe is not based on one religion, Europe
is not based on the difference of religions. Europe is
based on universal values, Europe is based on the freedom
of religion and Turkey shares those values."
He said Turkish accession to the EU would "show to the
world that EU is not based on Christian values but on
universal values. Rule of law, freedom of speech, democracy
are universal values."
French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier and Finance
Minister Nicolas Sarkozy have proposed holding a referendum
on Turkey's accession. They say Ankara could not join for
at least 15 years and the referendum should be held when
long accession talks end.
Demilrap brushed away the idea of a referendum on
Turkey as "nonsense".
"Turkey should not be discriminated (against). Turkey
should be treated like all other candidate countries and I
do not share these ideas about making special referendum on
Turkey. That is nonsense."
Demiralp said Ankara was willing to discuss limiting
the movement of Turkish workers -- addressing fears of
floods of migrants seeking jobs in richer parts of the bloc
-- but did not see this as a big problem.
"We are ready to discuss this issue....all the
scientific studies show that such an immigration will not
take place, because first of all the conditions in Turkey
will improve. And if the conditions in Turkey improve, I
don't know how many Turks would like to come and live under
the rain."
The executive European Commission is due to recommend
on October 6 whether Turkey meets the political and
economic criteria to start accession talks. EU leaders must
then decide in December whether to accept the advice.
Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen has all but
given the green light, saying Ankara's recent adoption of a
new penal code removed the last obstacle to a positive
opinion.
But opinion about Turkish membership of the EU is divided in
Europ
e. Opposition to Turkey's accession to the
EU being strongest in France, Germany, Austria and the
Netherlands, even though French President Jacques Chirac
and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder have personally
endorsed Ankara's European vocation.
In several countries, opposition politicians and
populists have seized on the issue to make political
capital.
A poll published in Le Figaro newspaper on Tuesday
found 56 percent of French people would oppose Turkey's
entry if a referendum were held now.
But the survey by the IPSOS research group showed 63
percent of respondents could foresee Turkey joining the
Union at some stage in the future if it made "the required
political and economic efforts".
"I am completely against it because I consider that,
geographically speaking, Turkey is not in Europe and we
have to geographically limit Europe to contries who are
originally European. I believe when a country has an eighth
of its territory in Europe and seven eighths in Asia, then
it's not a European country. It's not a problem of
religion, because there are muslims in France as in Europe.
It's a problem of geography and economy. We are not going
to extend Europe... if we do, why not Africa and other
continents?", said Dorien Pellier.
"(I am against it) above all, because of religious
fundamentalism; on the other hand, we are not better here,
but there's something that worries me about (Turkey
joining the European Union)", said Jean Pierre Desbonnet.
But Corinne Lany said: "I have no problem with
Turkey's entry into the EU. It is the same situation as
with Poland and all the other countries which joined
Europe. On the contrary, it strengthens Europe with a
different spirit, different populations, and that can only
be a good thing for Europe."
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