Sarkozy filling his campaign promise to keep Turkey out of E.U.


Fresh from a diplomatic triumph at a European summit meeting here, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France on Monday blocked a key element of Turkey’s entry negotiations with the European Union.


Fresh from a diplomatic triumph at a European summit meeting here, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France on Monday blocked a key element of Turkey’s entry negotiations with the European Union, potentially derailing the large Muslim country’s efforts to join the bloc.

The move to block the opening of discussions on the key area of economic and monetary policy…comes at a critical time for Turkey, which is pursuing difficult political and economic reforms required for EU membership during an election year.

Sarkozy made his opposition to Turkey joining the EU a central element of his presidential campaign, telling voters that Turkey was geographically not part of Europe and arguing that the country had no place in an already overstretched union.

EU diplomats said that he had lobbied hard to prevent the opening of discussions with Turkey on economic and monetary policy because it could clear the way for its eventual membership in the euro and had particular political and symbolic resonance.

This actually means more about events affecting us all than, say, Paris Hilton leaving jail - or even the latest first-person shooter. Politics really do exist west of San Francisco and east of NYC.

Posted: Tue - June 26, 2007 at 01:58 PM