Turkey hopes Sarkozy will change his stance on EU membership for Turkey

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Paris on Wednesday that he hopes French President Nicolas Sarkozy will change his stance on EU membership for Turkey.

Erdogan said his country plays the role of a bridge between the West and the Muslim world and has made significant progress toward fulfilling reforms required for joining the bloc.

Sarkozy advocates a “privileged partnership” for Turkey rather than full membership. He reiterated that stance Wednesday. Erdogan said the two countries still intend to develop their bilateral ties.