Cardinal Ratzinger: Identifying Turkey with Europe would be a mistake
This would be a mistake - said about the possible
Turkey's accession into the UE cardinal Joseph Ratzinger
- present pope - in an interview given to the French "Le
Figaro". Prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith, guarding the catholic doctrine
for 20 years, emphasised that for centuries Turkey and
Europa stayed in a "permanent contrast", which brought
such dramatic episodes as the fall of the
Constantinopole, the siege of Vienna or the Balcan wars.
The words of the hierarch caused a categorical response
from the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
who expects that Brussels will decide in December on
starting the accession negotiations with Ankara.
Based on Le Figaro, The New York Times
A full version of the interview with cardinal
Ratzinger - present pope - from the La Figaro magazine
soon available.
(C) Figaro Magazine (13.08.2004)