Europe’s line must embrace Turkish sand

Commentary feature which discusses a speech given by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Nimes in May 2009 outlining his vision for the EU in which he said it was time for the EU to define its borders and tell Turkey, an official candidate for EU membership since 2005, to stay outside.

Writer says that 'If the EU were to slam the door shut on Turkey, as Mr Sarkozy suggests, the consequences would be more unpredictable and perhaps more dangerous than they are today with the door half open. Turkey is a considerable regional power, in military and economic terms. Thanks to its imperial Ottoman past, Turkic culture and Islamic heritage, it understands its neighbours rather better than the EU does. In short, Turkey has options'.