Delors urges ‘handsome gesture’ for Turkey

Delors, speaking to Paris based Europe 1 radio station, praised Turkey and said it showed a major improvement not only in its economy but also in other fields.

"The EU should not close its door to Turkey," the agency quoted Delors, who served three terms as President of the EU Commission between 1985 and 1994, as saying.

France is a member state where public opinion is highly against Turkey’s entry. French President Jacques Chirac, who is actually known to be supportive of Turkey’s membership, recently stated that French citizens would be consulted on the issue through a referendum if necessary and emphasized that France had the right to veto the negotiation process. Chirac’s move was considered as an attempt to allay widespread domestic criticism both from the opposition and within his own party.

The EU Commission, at the beginning of last month, recommended the European Council open accession talks with Turkey, saying it believed Ankara now met the bloc’s political entry criteria. However, unlike earlier recommendations, the commission did not suggest a date for starting negotiations.

Turkish opponent circles continued to voice alternative formulas for the relation between Turkey and the EU such as "privileged partnership" suggested by conservative German union parties.

Delors has always refused to consider the EU as a mere free trade area without any social or political dimension; he insisted on the necessary solidarity between the member states.

"If we are being threatened by fundamentalism and discussing the conflict of civilizations; what is Europe’s task then? Can’t we show a handsome gesture for Turkey?"

Austrian President Heinz Fischer also supported to open entry talks with Turkey, Anatolia said. Fischer, speaking to a Croatian paper, said Turkey’s recent improvements could not be disregarded and the EU expected Turkish reforms to continue.

"A possible accession date should also be openly mentioned during the December summit decision," he was quoted as saying by the agency.

European leaders are expected to set a date for opening entry talks with Ankara in the mid-December summit in Brussels.