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(CNSNews.com)-President Obama’s warm reception in Europe took a chilly turn Sunday after some leaders took issue with his support for Turkey’s aspirations to join the European Union.Speaking ahead of his arrival in Ankara late Sunday for his first visit as president to a Muslim country, Obama urged E.U. leaders in Prague to move ahead with E.U. membership for Turkey.Doing so would be an important signal of the E.U.’s commitment to an agenda, jointly with the U.S., of “approaching Muslims as our friends, neighbors and partners in fighting injustice, intolerance and violence,” he said. Obama’s remarks drew a veiled rebuke from French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who told French television that “it is up to member-states of the European Union to decide” on whether Turkey should be allowed to join. Sarkozy also reiterated his opposition to membership for Turkey. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is also leery about admitting a country that would replace Germany as the E.U.’s biggest member, said E.U. members were still “wrestling” over whether Ankara should be welcomed as a full member state or have some sort of “privileged partnership”-a German proposal Turkey has flatly rejected in the past. Turkey, a NATO ally since 1952, has been seeking membership in Europe for decades.It was officially declared a candidate for E.U. membership since 1999, and full negotiations began in 2005. Supporters of the bid – including the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations-say the country is a potentially crucial bridge between the West and Islam.Arguments against Turkish accession include concerns about Turkey’s human rights record, especially regarding its long campaign against Kurdish separatists, fears of being flooded by Turkish migrants, and an unresolved dispute over Turkish-backed Northern Cyprus. For many Europeans, the cultural and religious differences between Turkey and traditionally Christian Europe are a key worry. While constitutionally a secular state, Turkey’s population is 99 percent Muslim.By Patrick Goodenough, International Editor
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