Italian FM warns EU against pushing Turkey towards Iran

Italy on Sunday warned the European Union that it could lose Turkey if the 27-nation bloc further alienates the candidate country in its long bid to become a full EU member. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, a staunch supporter of Turkey's EU membership, was quoted by the conservative Avvenire daily as saying that Turkey could distance itself from the West and face Iran. Saying that his country has long supported Turkey's EU membership, he added that it would be "stupid to push (Turkey) toward Iran." "Turkey is at a crossroads," he said. "It could make its way toward the West. But it could also make its way toward Iran, which would make it a power that is a friend of Iran."