Turk PM urges France to loyal its commitments to Turkey accession

Erdogan had communicated Turkey's expectations from France during its presidency in its accession talks with the EU while Sarkozy promised to allow accession talks to run its course, the Anatolian Agency (AA) said citing French Presidency officials who spoke to reporters regarding the meeting.

 

The negotiation chapters which were ready for review would be opened to negotiation during the French Presidency, the AA also said.

 

The two leaders discussed Turkey-EU relations, bilateral issues, the Middle East peace process, and the dissolution case against Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP), the AA quoted presidency officials as saying.

 

Officials added that Sarkozy appreciated Turkey's mediatorship between Israel and Syria, and he welcomed Turkey's active participation in the Union for Mediterranean Project. Sarkozy reiterated that the Union for Mediterranean Project and Turkey's EU bid were totally different issues.

 

France which opposes Turkey's full membership to the EU and offers "privileged partnership" instead, announced earlier that it would not object to the opening of two or three chapters to negotiations during its term as EU president. France vetoed earlier, opening of the chapters on common fiscal and economic policy as it made direct reference to full membership.

 

"The Union for Mediterranean is a project aiming at developing cooperation in the Mediterranean. This project is not an alternative to Turkey's EU membership process. It was underlined by European leaders on many occasions." Erdogan said in Istanbul prior to his departure for France on Sunday.

 

"The final statement to be released at the end of the summit will also refer to it. From the very beginning, Turkey has been advocating to develop tangible projects for development of cooperation in the Mediterranean," he added.

 

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan also accompanied Erdogan in the meeting that was closed to the press. Â

 

NEXT MEETINGS

After his meeting with Sarkozy, Erdogan will meet Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel, President Bashar al-Asad of Syria, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of Spain, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt of Sweden, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark and Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands, during his stay in Paris.

 

Turkey initially viewed with suspicion the initiative of Sarkozy, who has long opposed Ankara's bid to join the 27-nation EU bloc.

 

MIDDLE EAST AGENDA

The Middle East peace process is high on agenda since the leaders of Syria, Israel and Palestine are also attending the summit.

 

Eyes will be on Syrian President Bashir al-Assad who stages a comeback to the international stage with his Paris visit and will find himself at the Grand Palais along with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

 

Israel and Syria technically remain at war ever since the creation of the Jewish state in 1948, although they have moved to revive peace efforts through indirect talks, with Turkey as mediator.

 

France had floated the idea of a historic meeting between Assad and Olmert, but both sides rejected the move as premature.

 

French diplomats say the seating arrangement at the summit -- by alphabetical order -- will ensure that Israeli and Syrian leaders are kept well apart.

 

The Union for the Mediterranean is a proposed community of EU-member states and countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea planned to be established in July 2008. It was originally suggested by Sarkozy as part of his election campaign.

 

Sarkozy, last year, invited all Mediterranean leaders to the summit in France to take place on July 13, 2008. The project envisages cooperation among the EU-member states and Mediterranean-littoral countries in environment, potable water, energy, transportation, sustainable development and fight against illegal migration.

 

The only no-show at the founding summit of the Union for the Mediterranean in Paris is Libyan President Moamer Kadhafi, who has assailed the new club as a European ploy to undermine Arab and African unity.