PARIS, Dec 15 (AFP) - French President Jacques Chirac on Wednesday said he still backed eventual EU membership for Turkey but with conditions, during a televised interview on the eve of an EU meeting expected to greenlight the start of accession talks.
"The question that has to be asked is: has Europe, and especially France, an interest in seeing Turkey join? My response is yes, but," he said on commercial station TF1.
"Yes, if Turkey fulfills all the conditions imposed on any candidate to join our Union," he said.
His comments were a reaffirmation of his position that Turkey should end up as a member of the European Union, which in May this year expanded by another 10 states, most of them in eastern Europe.
Chirac's ruling conservative party has declared itself opposed however, as has the majority of the French population questioned in recent surveys.
Concerns centre on the ability to absorb a large and relatively poor Muslim country.
France's hesitation is seen as one of Ankara's biggest obstacles to winning a place in the wealthy bloc.
Chirac has said the negotiation period that was likely to be endorsed at Thursday's EU meeting in Brussels could take as long as a decade.
He said in the interview that the conditions Turkey had to meet were a commitment to peace and stability, democracy and economic and social development.
"In regard to those three criteria, I believe it is in our interest to have Turkey, if it fulfils all the conditions."
A rejection of Turkey would "certainly bring a risk of instability, insecurity to our borders," he warned, stating he was against an idea floated of Turkey being offered a "privileged partnership" instead of full membership.
12/15/2004 19:45 GMT - AFP