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Obama, Sarkozy clash over Turkey's EU bid

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U.S. President Barack Obama threw his backing Sunday behind Turkey's bid to join the European Union before being slapped down by French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy for intervening in the bloc's affairs.

Obama, who later flew to Ankara, told European Union leaders at an EU-U.S. summit in Prague that Turkey's membership of the 27-nation bloc would firmly wrap the mainly Muslim nation into the Western fold.

"The United States and Europe must approach Muslims as our friends, neighbors and partners in fighting injustice, intolerance and violence," Obama said.

"Moving forward toward Turkish membership in the EU would be an important signal of your commitment to this agenda and ensure that we continue to anchor Turkey firmly in Europe."

The U.S. has long supported Turkey's efforts to become a member of the EU which have made slow progress in the last four years.

Turkey has long been regarded as a key U.S. ally and is already a member of NATO, although relations did cool during the presidency of George W Bush when the U.S. invaded neighboring Iraq.

Obama's trip to Turkey, his first as president to a mainly Muslim country, is seen as part of an effort to lock it into the Western camp after fears it might be slipping away.

A number of EU countries, most notably France, have been outspoken in their opposition to Turkey's membership of their organization, worried about the cost of absorbing such a large and relatively poor country.

"I have been working hand-in-hand with President Obama but when it comes to the European Union, it's up to member states of the European Union to decide" on membership, Sarkozy told a French television interview from Prague.

"I have always been opposed to this entry and I remain opposed."

Sarkozy's comments knocked some of the gloss off the pair's rapport. Obama had praised the French president for his "marvelous" leadership when he hosted a NATO summit last week.

While less outspoken than Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel also poured cold water on Obama's support for Turkey's EU ambitions, insisting that the issue remains an open question.

"I believe that a close link between the Muslim world and in particular with Turkey is interesting for us all," she said.

"In what manner and which way that occurs, whether as a privileged partnership or a full (EU) member state, we're still talking about that," she told reporters.

Turkey began accession talks in 2005, but less than a third of the 35 policy areas that candidates must successfully negotiate have been opened, amid a trade row over Cyprus, which it does not recognize.

European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso welcomed Obama's comments and said the goal of Turkish membership remained in place.

"We have started a process of negotiations with Turkey for membership of the European Union and that was a unanimous decision of the European Union, all the 27 member states," he said at a press conference at the end of the summit.

"Of course, we have to go on with the negotiations and at the end, we have to see if Turkey is ready to join and if the European Union is ready to integrate Turkey.

"That has been clear and consistent position of the European Commission and therefore I very much welcome the comments of President Obama."

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his country's desire to join the bloc when he visited Brussels in January.

Speaking last week, European Union Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn called on Turkey to renew its focus on reforms linked to its EU aspirations.

© Wire reports

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

16 Comments
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Obama shows again how clueless he is. Instead of sending more ridiculous "signals" of weakness of the West, he might first read Ahmedinejads 2006 letter to GW Bush.

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Obama's unilateralism is embarrassing.

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Its amateur hour at the white house.

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And the right wingers beat me to it...oh well.

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The US and EU have gone far out of their ways to appease Muslim countries. In both the EU and US you can practice your religion including bringing in a polygamist family. While the left is cheering this, the people they are cheering for are allowing young girls to be married off, gays being prosecuted, rampart death penalties for even minor crimes. Throwing women who have been raped in jail or even stoned.

I don't see Muslim countries, including Turkey going out of their ways.

I prefer we push them to come up to the modern age before letting them in.

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Huge protests in Turkey - against Obama. Would have been lead story if Bush or a Republican were president.

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//090405/ids_photos_wl/r2401924865.jpg/

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“The United States and Europe must approach Muslims as our friends, neighbors and partners in fighting injustice, intolerance and violence,” Obama said."

I'm really disturbed by this statement. How can you be tolerant to something that is at the forefront of intolerance? U all may dis me, but if you look at how must of them practice Islam, you will learn that they are very fascist. Very few of us here would be allowed to date a Muslim woman.

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Teleprompter:

Huge? Hurriyet speaks of a few dozen: http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/domestic/11368320.asp?scr=1

Of course, even a few dozen would still have been headlines if it had been the dreaded GWB...

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“The United States and Europe must approach Muslims as our friends, neighbors and partners in fighting injustice, intolerance and violence,” Obama said.

The Mullahs are laughing.

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Doesn't even look like the libs are backing Obama on this one, as eveidenced by their lack of posts.

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Doesn't even look like the libs are backing Obama on this one, as eveidenced by their lack of posts" and they shouldn't. How can you be lib and yet be tolerant to a religion that is not tolerant?

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skipthesong:

" How can you be lib and yet be tolerant to a religion that is not tolerant? "

That? That is easy. They do it all the time. Never let a logical conundrum disturb a determined liberal mind.

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"Obama's unilateralism is embarrassing."

So you're supporting the French, heh....old buddy?

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skelter,

You, like the boy, have been an avid anti-french poster...

Are you agreeing with Sarko or are you with Obama?

Heh......fzzzzt....Check Engine.

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Are you agreeing with Sarko or are you with Obama?

Sarko of course. Hey, even France gets it right once in a while.

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The U.S. has long supported Turkey’s efforts to become a member of the EU which have made slow progress in the last four years.

The admission of Turkey into the would by all accounts be very good. But the main issue of concern for France and Germany is immigration.

If Turkey is allowed to enter into the EU as a full member that would mean that it's people could travel and migrate to any nation.

Also there is the Morocco issue, it too wishes to join the EU but has been rejected because it is not part of Europe. If the EU allows Turkey in then why not Morocco?

Turkey has long been regarded as a key U.S. ally and is already a member of NATO, although relations did cool during the presidency of George W Bush when the U.S. invaded neighboring Iraq.

The Bush administration turn a cold shoulder to many of our friends. It's cold shoulder to Turkey had more to do with kissing up his friends in the nation of Saud and nothing with anything else.

Turkey has always been a very good friend to NATO and to the United States. This move by President Obama to right the wrongs committed by the Bush administration is a very good thing.

I for one think this is a very good move and a clear sign that he knows what he is doing. The Bush administration's policy of befriending our enemies just did not work and it cost us too much.

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