Turkey has a chance to join EU but not in near future

June 5, 2008 - 16:55 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey has a chance to join the European Union but it's premature to speak of it now, deputy chair of European Commission directorate for foreign affairs said in Yerevan.



"Turkey should live through a long period of reform. I am not authorized to go into details, since I do not possess exhaustive information but I think it would be a long process," Mr Hugues Mingarelli said.



The EU-Turkey accession talks opened in 2006 but were suspended over Ankara's unwillingness to open sea and airports for Cyprus. The problems with freedom of expression and national minorities' rights are also an obstacle.



From July 2007, the EU presidency will rotate to France whose President Nicolas Sarkozy has numerously objected Turkey's membership.



Germany is also against accession and offers 'privileged partnership' to Turkey.
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