Portugal defends Turkey's EU bid

Portugal says the new EU reform treaty is its top priority

The next holder of the EU presidency, Portugal, has rebuffed French proposals for a debate on Turkey's EU membership prospects at a summit in December.

Portuguese Europe minister Manuel Lobo Antunes said membership would remain the goal of Turkey's accession talks, as long as it fulfilled the criteria.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy says Turkey is not part of Europe and should be offered only privileged partnership.

He wants the EU to agree on its borders at the end-of-year summit.

All accession negotiations have one goal - accession, once all the criteria have been fulfilled Manuel Lobo Antunes

Mr Lobo Antunes said Portugal's priority during its presidency - starting on Sunday - would be concluding a treaty reforming EU institutions.

He also said Portugal would be trying to get Turkey's membership talks "back on track".

Last week, the EU delayed opening talks with Turkey in the area of economic and monetary policy after France signalled that it would veto such a move.

Mr Lobo Antunes said France had the right to raise any issues it wanted to, but that he was opposed to embarking on "discussions that are complex and difficult".

Even after dealing with the reform of institutions, the EU had other big issues to tackle, he said, such as a review of the budget due in 2008.

Mr Sarkozy has agreed not to raise the Turkey issue during Germany's EU presidency, which ends on 1 July.

But Paris has vowed to bring up its opposition to talks that would allow Turkey to become a full member, at summits and other EU meetings.