It’s time to tell Turkey ‘your place is in Asia’: Sarkozy

PARIS

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has promised to campaign to halt European Union membership talks with Turkey if he is again elected as French head of state in next year’s presidential elections.

“It was time that someone told Turkey its place is in Asia,” Sarkozy said.  

“I am a fervent European. I will never accept leaving the euro but Europe isn’t working at all,” Sarkozy was quoted as saying by the Telegraph on Sept. 28. 

Additionally, Sarkozy said he wanted to end EU accession negotiations with Turkey. 

Sarkozy pledged to give Britain a chance to reverse Brexit, by negotiating a new treaty for the EU with Germany, if he is re-elected in 2017.

The former president said he would fly to Britain after being re-elected with a draft of a new EU treaty in an attempt to persuade the British to reconsider their departure from the bloc.

Sarkozy said he will propose a new treaty to Britain, allowing them to have the opportunity to vote again.  

“But this time not on the old Europe, on the new Europe. Do you want to stay? If yes, so much better, because I can’t accept to lose Europe’s second-largest economy while we are negotiating with Turkey over its EU membership. And if it’s a no, then it’s a real no. You’re in or you’re out,” Sarkozy said.