Turkse president: Frans referendum over toetreding Turkije onaanvaardbaar (en)

Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hit out angrily at the thought of France holding a referendum on his country's entry into the EU.

Speaking in Strasbourg yesterday (6 October), Mr Erdogan said, "For the moment, something like a referendum is out of the question. The principles and conditions to become a member of the EU or to start the negotiation processes are clear", according to Le Monde.

"Up until now, a referendum hasn't been applied to any country who wanted to become a member", he continued.

"If people are talking about a referendum only for Turkey, this means there are double standards. This is all the more sad because there are already members of the EU that are less developed than Turkey".

French President Jacques Chirac has called for a referendum on future enlargements of the EU, although he has made clear that this does not refer to Bulgaria and Romania.

And he has been backed by incoming Commission President José Manuel Durao Barroso, who said this week, "The Turkish question is a very serious one. It is therefore very important that a decision is made only with the support of European citizens".