Blair, Chirac: Turkey will join EU, but process will be long

"The integration of Turkey into European norms will be long and difficult," Chirac told 400 university students gathered at his Elysee presidential palace to celebrate Europe Day.

"But it will happen and it is desirable for that to happen," the French leader added, with Blair by his side for the question-and-answer session.

Chirac said Ankara had made important strides toward fulfilling the political and economic criteria for EU membership, but acknowledged: "It still has to make some efforts."

Turkey has been a formal candidate for EU membership since 1999, but is the only country so far not to have started accession negotiations with the bloc.

The EU has said it will consider setting a date by the end of the year for the start of membership talks with Ankara. But Chirac said late last month that negotiations for Turkish membership would last at least 10 years.

Blair — who has been a strong supporter of Turkey’s future EU membership — said Ankara’s bid would present a "great challenge", noting: "What’s important is that the conditions are applied to Turkey as they would be to anyone else.

"What determines the speed and process of Turkey’s application for European membership are the rules. The rules we set out for all European countries are the rules that we should apply to Turkey too."

According to a recent opinion poll, some 61 percent of the French are against Turkey’s entry into the EU. Chirac’s Union for a Popular Movement party (UMP) has also said it is opposed.