Turkey needs ‘a major cultural revolution’

FRENCH President Jacques Chirac yesterday said Turkey would need to undergo a major cultural revolution before entering the EU, and reiterated France would hold a referendum on admitting Ankara to the bloc.

His comments represented the tough road ahead for Turkey's bid for EU membership.

It took last-minute wrangling after two days of arduous talks between EU foreign ministers to overcome Austrian objections to start the negotiations.

Entry talks are expected to last at least 10 years before the EU can absorb Turkey and stretch its borders to the Middle East. There is broad opposition among Europeans to admitting the poor, largely Muslim nation of 70 million.

Mr Chirac told a news conference: "Will it succeed? I cannot say. I hope so. But I am not at all sure."

It will be "a considerable effort" for Turkey, he said. "It is a major cultural revolution," that will take "at minimum 10 to 15 years."

He said Turkey's membership would need to be approved by the French in a referendum. Austria also plans such a vote.

"The French will have the last word, as it should be in a democracy. We will see when the time comes."

In Turkey, there was no immediate reaction to Mr Chirac's comments, which were reported by Turkish television, but Culture Minister Atilla Koc's office said he was reviewing them. Akif Beki, spokesman for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was not available for comment.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who currently holds the EU presidency, said negotiations would take a long time, and would mean a "very big change" for the EU and Turkey.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Turkey's entry is "neither guaranteed nor automatic."

"Turkey must win the hearts and minds of European citizens. They are the ones who at the end of the day will decide about Turkey's membership."

It will take nearly a year before the real negotiations get under way. On October 20, EU experts will start "screening" Turkey's rule policies to see if they meet requirements to start specific talks in 35 areas everything from food safety rules to minority rights.

Turkey then faces a final review from all EU governments who have to unanimously approve talks to begin in these policy areas.

The negotiating mandate says that if the EU finds "a serious and persistent breach ... of the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law," it may suspend the negotiations.

Turkey's shaky human rights record and poor economic past have kept it from joining the EU member.