ISTANBUL (CIHAN) - French President Jacques Chirac said on Monday that the EU would give Turkey a date to open accession talks if the EU Commission progress reports on Turkey is positive.
The French President told a press conference following the NATO morning session meeting that he personally believes that there is no stepping back from Turkey's integration into the European Union. However, the French President said that this integration process would be a long and hard process.
"If the EU Commission reports on Turkey will is positive in September, then EU leaders will open the accession talks with Turkey," Chirac said.
The EU Commission is expected to issue a progress report on Turkey in October. The report will be the basis for the EU leaders' decision in December whether to open accession talks with Turkey or not. Recent signals from the EU have underlined that the actual implementation of EU reforms in Turkey will be crucial.
Evaluating the statements of US President George W. Bush who asked EU leaders to open accession talks with Turkey, Chirac said that it is beyond the authority of US President Bush to determine the relations between Turkey and the EU. "The EU will decide to open the accession talks with Turkey. Bush has gone a bit far."
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder had said on Wednesday that Germany and France had reached a consensus on the opening of accession talks with Turkey if the EU Commission report on Turkey was positive
EU leaders are due to meet in December to decide whether Turkey, a candidate country since 1999, has made enough progress on human rights and political freedoms for the initiation of the long-delayed accession talks with the EU.
The European Union pledges to open accession talks with Turkey without delay if Turkey fulfills the Copenhagen political criteria, the final joint declaration of the Brussels EU leaders' summit stated two weeks ago.