French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy issued a new call yesterday for Turkey to recognise Cyprus, but made clear Paris did not plan to block the start of Ankara's entry talks with the European Union.
"It is hardly conceivable that a country which is asking to enter a community refuses to recognise one of its members," he told a conference of French ambassadors in Paris.
Mr Douste-Blazy said Ankara must clarify its position on Cyprus, but added that France would "respect its commitments but expects Turkey and other candidate countries to respect theirs and satisfy the conditions for joining the Union".
His comments followed remarks by President Jacques Chirac in the past few days which have signalled a hardening of the French leader's position on Turkey as it prepares to start EU membership negotiations on October 3.
Mr Chirac has twice urged Turkey to clarify its stance on Cyprus and has asked it to offer assurances that it will carry out all its commitments to the EU, but he has also made clear Paris will not block the start of the accession talks.
Mr Chirac backed the EU's decision last December to invite Turkey to start entry talks but now appears determined to show he has taken account of French public opinion, which has swung strongly against Turkey's entry bid.
French voters cited fears over large, mainly Muslim Turkey joining the 25-nation bloc as a reason for rejecting the EU's Constitution last May, a defeat which weakened Chirac on the international and domestic stage.
European Foreign Ministers meet tomorrow and on Friday to discuss the negotiating framework for the entry talks.
Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the EU's executive Commission, said in an interview published by Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza that no EU member state had suggested delaying the start of Turkey's membership talks.
"The European Commission prepared a project of negotiations with Turkey. It is up to the countries in the EU to decide (to back it or not)," he said.
An EU Commission spokesman reiterated last Friday that EU leaders had not made formal recognition of Cyprus a condition for accession talks to begin with Turkey.
Turkey cleared the last obstacle to starting the entry talks by signing what is known as the Ankara protocol last month, extending its customs union to new EU members including Cyprus.
But Ankara also issued a declaration making clear the signing of the protocol did not signify recognition of the Greek Cypriot government, regarded by Brussels as the sole legitimate authority on the island.
Turkey backs breakaway Turkish Cypriots in northern Cyprus. Turkish officials were not available to comment on Mr Douste-Blazy's remarks on what was a public holiday in Turkey.