EU: A majority of EU member- states support the Franco-German plan to begin EU accession talks with Turkey in 2005, according to Mr Joschka Fischer, the German foreign minister. From Derek Scally, in Berlin
Mr Fischer made his comments after talks with other European foreign ministers in Brussels ahead of the EU summit in Copenhagen to discuss the future enlargement of the union. "There is a very large majority in agreement with this basis," said Mr Fischer yesterday. "I hope that Turkey will also see how far the door is being opened to Turkish interests."
The French-German position was agreed by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and President Chirac at a meeting near Berlin last week.
Their plan would see talks open in July 2005, if Turkey is judged to meet the criteria for membership of the EU.
However, Ankara has rejected the Franco-German proposal, accusing the EU of double standards for not giving a clearer, earlier date.
"The Turkey that can join the EU will no longer be the Turkey that we know today," said Mr Fischer. "Many of the fears of today will then no longer exist."
His remarks came as a survey for France's Le Figaro newspaper showed that the majority of the French population was against Turkey joining the EU.
Some 56 per cent of those questioned by the Ipsos polling agency said they were against Turkey joining the EU, while 35 per cent supported the idea.
The most common reason for opposing Turkey's EU candidacy was the fear of a massive wave of Turks arriving in western European countries.
Mr Giscard D'Estaing, the current head of the Convention on the Future of Europe, has said that Turkey would "be the end of the European Union".