Turkey slams Sarkozy’s ‘touch and go’ visit plan

AFP/Reuters/Ankara

Sarkozy: has not visited Turkey since becoming president and Erdogan: Where is the justice

In an interview with AFP, Erdogan said that the nature of the lightning visit failed to reflect “the level of friendship” between the two states, amid frustration in Ankara at the obstacles confronting its bid for EU membership.

“I speak frankly: we would have liked to welcome him (Sarkozy) as president of France, but on Friday he comes ... as chairman of the G20” group of leading economies, Erdogan said late Wednesday.

“So I think this is not a visit at the level of the friendship between Turkey and France... Turkey and Turkish-French ties deserve better than that.”

Erdogan lamented that Sarkozy had not found time to pay a visit in his capacity as French president since he came to power four years ago.

“We also regret that Sarkozy has not visited Turkey since he became president. The president of Turkey went to France and so did I, as prime minister,” he added.

Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul had made official visits to France, whereas Sarkozy had not visited Turkey during his time in office.

Gul told the French daily Le Figaro in January that Sarkozy has “an image of Turkey that does not correspond with reality”.

Erdogan and Gul are due to meet separately with Sarkozy, to discuss the G20 agenda, and foreign policy issues, ranging from the Middle East peace process, stalled peace talks between Syria and Israel, the change in government in Lebanon and the big powers’ negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.

Turkey and France have enjoyed close ties since Ottoman times, coupled with strong economic links, but relations took a downturn after Sarkozy became president, raising vocal opposition to Turkey’s bid to join the European Union.

Sarkozy insisted on a “very short visit” of “five or six hours”, a senior Turkish diplomat said last week, voicing hope the two sides would find time to discuss issues other than those related to the G20 group, whose presidency France currently holds.

Sarkozy says that Turkey does not belong to Europe, and, together with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, advocates a special partnership rather than full membership for the mainly Muslim nation of some 73mn, an idea that Ankara flatly rejects.

France has blocked talks in several chapters that Turkey has to negotiate before accession, contributing to a slow-down that threatens to bring the process to a halt.

Many French companies are active in Turkey, notably in the automotive and insurance sector.

“We absolutely do not want to sacrifice our economic relations to those political attitudes against us,” Erdogan said.

“We are doing our best to improve ties ... but French business people in particular feel very uncomfortable because of the current situation,” he said.

Asked about the sluggish pace of his country’s EU accession talks, Erdogan said: “It would be a lie to say that we are not frustrated.”

“Certain facts should be said openly: they are tiring us! But getting tired does not mean that the process will be stopped,” he added.

Erdogan accused the EU of changing the rules for Turkey since the country’s membership negotiations began in 2005.

“Previously, Turkey would be invited to EU summits. This is the first thing they stopped doing,” he grumbled. “Then they increased the number of chapters (in the accession talks). They were not content with that and then told us that we can open chapters but we cannot close them.”

Out of the 35 policy chapters that candidates must negotiate, Turkey has opened talks on only 13.

In addition to chapters blocked by France, eight chapters remain frozen as an EU sanction to Turkey’s refusal to open its ports to Greek Cypriot vessels under a trade pact with the bloc, with Cyprus blocking another six.

“Where is justice, where is faithfulness in all this? How can negotiations be possible like that? But we will continue to work patiently,” Erdogan said.