TURKEY:The new chairman of the European Parliament's most powerful political group said yesterday that Turkey should not be offered full membership of the European Union.
French lawmaker Joseph Daul, a close ally of French interior minister and presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy, was elected on Tuesday as chairman of the European People's Party (EPP), which includes government parties from France and Germany.
Mr Daul, a member of France's ruling UMP party, said he favours "privileged partnership" rather than full membership of the 27-member bloc for mainly Muslim Turkey.
His views echo those of his predecessor.
"Turkey is not ready for EU membership and the EU is not ready to absorb Turkey. If this happens, then they both will lose," Mr Daul told reporters.
"I accept that negotiations will continue and we should have a partnership, but this should be a privileged one."
This was also the view of outgoing EPP chairman Hans-Gert Poettering, set to be elected president of the European Parliament next week.
Mr Poettering is a key supporter of German chancellor Angela Merkel.
The EU assembly, dominated by the centre-right EPP, holds joint responsibility with the EU's council of member states for deciding on a number of the union's key policy areas, including enlargement.
Late last year, the EU partially froze Turkey's EU accession talks, launched in October 2005, over Ankara's refusal to open its ports to shipping from EU member Cyprus.