Chirac said that the negotiations with Turkey will be open ended and the last word will be said by the French. He said; Turks are a proud people and will reject special partnership. In fact, responding partially, to the serious efforts of a nation, will be very unfair.
In a 10-15-year negotiating process Turkey will progress towards a European style of living and human rights understanding. We can not say No to them.
That the French President Chirac also said that "Turkey is a secular state since 1923 and is respecting other religions. Let us not provoke this natural creation, because then we will lose. Civilizations must remain away from the war of religions and cultures" overlapped with the rhetoric of Erdogan voiced as the official view of the state.
Chirac said "We made a promise in 1963. No French President since then has said that Turkey can not be a EU member. Rejecting Turkey will be a great risk."
