Zaman/ here
"...... an implicit agreement was reached during President Abdullah Gül’s meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris last month, noting that the agreement aimed at “easing” problems concerning Turkey’s EU membership process, the Anatolia news agency reported.
Gül had paid an official visit to Paris last month, where he and his French counterpart, Sarkozy, together opened an exhibition at Paris’ Grand Palais as part of the Season of Turkey in France.
Sarkozy believes that Turkey does not belong in Europe and proposes instead a privileged partnership that falls short of membership in the 27-nation EU, while the Turkish leadership categorically rejects any formula that does not include full membership in the European bloc.
During their meeting last month, the French and Turkish presidents reached an unwritten agreement based on “mutual compromise on three issues for easing problems stemming from the parties’ positions,” Lellouche was quoted by Anatolia as telling members of the foreign affairs committee.
The first compromise is an undeclared acceptance that France continues to oppose accession of Turkey into the EU, Lellouche said. “The second issue is the continuation of [membership] negotiations. This is in the best interest of everybody and Turkey. A contemporary and democratic Turkey is in the best interest of the EU,” the French minister was quoted as saying by the agency. He cited the third issue on which the two parties agreed as a mutual will for increasing bilateral political, economical and strategic relations to the highest level..."
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