France’s Sarkozy supports EU talks with Turkey, but not full membership

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Friday (February 25th) that he supports continuing EU talks with Turkey, but he reiterated his view that an alternative to full membership is preferred. “We are not planning on stopping the negotiations. I believe that they are necessary,” Sarkozy told a press conference after meeting with Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul. He visited Ankara as a function of being a G-20 president. He described the Cypriot issue as a main hurdle to accession. After the meeting, Gul said Turkey expects the EU to keep its promise and give Ankara the chance to successfully complete its accession talks.