Turkey to play active role in Med. Union

Turkey's foreign minister said yesterday his country would play an active role in France's Mediterranean Union initiative despite initial fears that Paris devised it as an alternative to Turkish EU membership.

Heads of state and government from 43 countries are to attend the launch summit for the new regional club today, bringing together the countries that line the Mediterranean as well as EU member states.

"Regarding the initiative of a Union for the Mediterranean, we think it will promote peace, stability and development in the region, and Turkey supports this initiative," Foreign Minister Ali Babacan told a news conference.

Turkey initially viewed with suspicion the initiative of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has long opposed Ankara's bid to join the 27-nation EU bloc.

But Babacan said Ankara's role would be the same as in the the existing Euro-Mediterranean partnership, known as the Barcelona process, which France says needs revitalising.

Paris has insisted its project has no bearing on Turkey's EU ambitions and a senior French source has said France would not halt the opening of negotiations on new EU policy areas with Turkey during its six-month EU presidency provided they did not involve five "chapters" that presuppose eventual membership.

"Turkey expects that during this presidency its EU accession process will continue in a normal way," Babacan said, standing alongside French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.