TURKEY’S ACCESSION TO EU TO BECOME DISASTROUS TO EU, FRENCH EX-PRESIDENT SAID

Turkey is not a European country and its accession to the European Union will become disastrous to the EU. Former French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing told “Le Monde” French newspaper. In his words, Turkish membership in the European Union would mean the Union expansion beyond the bounds of the continent and then other Near Eastern countries would claim joining the EU. The statement has caused Turkey’s heavy reaction and it demanded d’Estaing’s dismissal from the post of President of the recently formed European Convention. In connection with this French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin stated that the statements made by the former French President are his “private opinion having its own grounds.”