Duitse minister van buitenlande zaken: "een zwak Europa kan Turkije niet opnemen" (en)

EUOBSERVER / ISTANBUL - German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has warned that a weak Europe cannot integrate Turkey, urging sceptics to back the European Constitution.

Speaking in Istanbul Mr Fischer said: "I think a Europe that cannot give itself a Constitution gets into great difficulty with 25 or 27 members and then trying to integrate Turkey".

"Turkey is a large country and integrating Turkey into Europe cannot be done by a weak Europe", he told a conference organised by the European Parliament's Greens .

His comments are likely to be noted in France and the UK, two countries which could vote 'no' to the Constitution.

The UK government has strongly supported Turkish integration, but has viewed further integration with some scepticism.

"As far as I am concerned it is not a question of saying yes to Turkey and no to the Constitution", Mr Fischer said.

In France, opinions on the Constitution have become entangled with views on Turkey leading to fears that the new EU treaty will be rejected in the French referendum next year.

Mr Fischer warned that Turkey's accession, as an important security goal for Europe, "should not be used for domestic political conflicts".

"I think that in the coming decade in Europe we will have no alternative but to look at our immediate strategy neighbourhood and see there [in Turkey's accession bid] a positive choice to our own internal security".

"It is in that context that we have to see the importance of Turkey's wish to accede".

Mr Fischer also stated his government will push for EU members to vote unanimously to back Turkey's EU membership during a crucial vote in December.