EU opens fresh membership talks with Turkey

(BRUSSELS) - The European Union on Tuesday opened membership talks with Turkey in two new policy areas, after French opposition prevented a third being chapter being included, an EU official said.

The areas of statistics and financial control, two of the 35 policy chapters which must be successfully negotiated prior to membership, were opened.

However the third chapter which the German EU presidency had hoped to open with Turkish negotiator Ali Babacan, on economic and monetary policy, was pulled at the last minute amid a French veto threat, officials said.

A European official said that Babacan told the meeting in Brussels that Turkey was "not satisfied with the explanations" on the delay in opening the economic and monetary policy chapter.

Since coming to power last month, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has affirmed his opposition to Turkey joining the EU.

Sarkozy has proposed instead that a Mediterranean Union be created which Ankara could be part of.

Turkey has denounced Sarkozy's stance and urged the 27-member bloc to open more chapters in its troubled accession talks.

Ankara's decades-long quest to join the EU has long been dogged by delay.

Member countries generally agree on the importance of encouraging reform in the mainly Muslim but secular country -- led by a moderate Islamic government -- which straddles Europe, the Middle East and the volatile Caucasus region.

But there are fears that relatively poor Turkey would be difficult to integrate -- politically, economically and socially -- and that given its population it would win voting powers similar to EU heavyweights like Britain or Italy.

The EU froze talks in December with Turkey on eight of the 35 policy chapters because of Ankara's on-going trade dispute with Cyprus.

It decided to continue discussion on chapters not linked to trade policy, but these may only be opened and not closed until the Cyprus problem is resolved.

Croatia, which began accession talks in 2005 along with Turkey, has forged ahead in the membership stakes and on Tuesday opened six more policy chapters bringing its total to 12 of the 35 policy areas.