Italy blames EU for lack of progress in Turkish membership bid

Venting frustration about the progress of beleaguered Turkish talks with the European Union, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said on Wednesday that "things are not going very well" with what he described as a "European and regional power." During a question and answer session at the Media Forum organized by his ministry, Frattini told a group of Turkish journalists that "bad results have been seen recently [because] we were unable to open a single chapter during the Belgian presidency [in the second half of 2010] despite the efforts of the presidency." It was the first time the EU has failed to open a single negotiating chapter with Turkey during a six-month rotating presidency of any member state since 2005. Frattini said he wants to see at least the chapter on competition policy opened in Turkey 's accession talks. "If not, then the energy chapter, which is also extremely important," he added, stressing that "European interests should be seen as equally important as Turkish interests." Membership, he said, "isn't a gift to Turkey . It is something of common interest to both Turkey and the Europeans." Reiterating Italy 's support for Turkey 's membership talks, Frattini said, "We're a friend of Turkey ." He rejected arguments that Turkey should be left out of the EU because it is a predominantly Muslim country. "We focus on dialogue and understanding in the Middle East ," he explained. "Many European states have doubts. They ask how it's possible for a Muslim state to one day become a member of the EU. I have been one of the strongest proponents [of the EU staying loyal to its] Christian roots. And it is exactly because of this that I say Turkey should become a full member of the EU, provided it fulfills the Copenhagen criteria."