ISTANBUL - Turkey`s top business association has warned that France`s attempt to obstruct Turkey`s membership to the EU was against its own benefits.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Turkish Industrialists` & Businessmen`s Association (TUSIAD) referred to the recent constitutional amendment package allowing French president to or not to put to a referendum approval of an agreement on membership of a candidate country to the EU.
"Under the package, the president will not put approval of membership of countries defined as `European` to a referendum while he will be able to call for a referendum for `non-European` Turkey. It is impossible to explain such an unbelievable contradiction stemming from `hostile` attitude by the French president and MPs against Turkey," it said.
The association touched on economic relations, "France`s commercial relations with Turkey amounted to 14 billion USD last year. Also, French private sector made investments in Turkey worth of 3 billion USD in the last five years. According to our point of view, it is unfortunate that France has been trying to hamper our EU membership process to digress the public opinion."
"Efforts of some administrations which are deprived of strategic thought and pursue prejudiced policies, to put the future of the Union under a mortgage is also the problem of the EU itself. The most important key allowing the EU to consolidate its economic and political power in the global platform, and to create an environment of prosperity and security in its region is Turkey`s becoming a member to the EU," TUSIAD added.
(UK-AÖ)