TURKEY: Starting EU entry talks with Ankara is a slap in the face for French voters hostile to Turkish membership and could kill the dream of a politically united Europe, one of the key architects of the EU constitution said yesterday.
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing said he was surprised and saddened by the European Union's decision to open accession talks, a move he said was a victory for euro-sceptical Britain's vision of Europe as a giant free-trade zone.
The former French president said the historic decision ignored the views of voters who rejected the EU constitution drawn up by Mr Giscard in a May 29th referendum, a result seen as due in part to hostility to Turkey's EU membership bid.
"I learnt of the news with sadness and surprise . . . It was said recently that the wishes of citizens are not taken into account sufficiently," he told RTL radio.
"The French people said four months ago 'We are against Turkey's entry' and here we are, four months later, and it's happening."
Although Mr Giscard holds no elected post in France, the views of the former head of state still carry weight. They also highlight the isolation of French president Jacques Chirac and his loyalist prime minister Dominique de Villepin on the issue.
Mr Chirac yesterday reiterated his support for Turkey's accession but said Ankara must conform to the bloc's values if it wants negotiations to result in full membership.
Negotiations will last at least 10-15 years, but Turkey must take "all the necessary steps" to adapt its laws to EU standards, Mr Chirac said.
Mr de Villepin, who has softened his stance since suggesting in August that Turkey should recognise EU member Cyprus before starting membership talks, later appealed for calm in the debate.
"Should Turkey join Europe? That question remains open," he said. Negotiations, closely monitored by all 25 member states, would be long and tough, and French voters could exercise a veto in a referendum. - (Reuters)