Chirac: Turkey needs 'cultural revolution'
French President Jacques Chirac today said Turkey will need to undergo a “major cultural revolution” to fulfil European Union membership conditions.
Eventual EU accession will require that Turkey “makes all the efforts necessary to adhere to all of our values, our principles,” Chirac said.
“For her, it is a considerable effort. It is a major cultural revolution” that will take “at minimum 10 to fifteen years.”
“Will it succeed? I cannot say. I hope so. But I am not at all sure,” said the French leader.
Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, also at the conference, said shutting the door to Turkey would have been unpardonable, like rejecting a suitor.
In such a situation, he warned, “love can turn to hate or something close to hate.” Opening EU membership talks with Turkey offered an “unmissable” opportunity to build links between the West and the Muslim world, he said.
Chirac warned that Turkey could be pushed toward Islamic fundamentalism if Europe slammed the door.
“Do you realize the dangers that would represent?” he said. “Do you realize the responsibility that we would have if we said, ’There’s nothing to see here, move on. We don’t want you.”’
Accepting Turkey would bring “considerable power which gives Europe the necessary dimension to exist in the world of tomorrow” – where growing powers like China, India and Russia will have a considerable sway.
“What we want is to leave our children as large a space as possible where peace and democracy are truly rooted,” he added. “We cannot ignore that this space of peace, democracy and power in reality requires Turkey’s presence.”
Chirac reiterated that Turkey’s accession to the 25-nation bloc would need to be approved by the French in a referendum.
“The French will have the last word, as it should be in a democracy,” he said. “We will see when the time comes.”
