(STRASBOURG) - The European Union must go ahead with Turkey's membership negotiations or risk its credibility, Slovenian President Danilo Turk, whose country holds the bloc's rotating presidency, said Wednesday.

"The negotiations on accession should continue," with Turkey, Turk told the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

"The credibility of the EU is at stake," he added.

"The EU should not deprive Turkey of the perspective of membership as this has already been granted," argued the Slovenian leader, whose country will hand over the EU's rotating presidency to France in July.

Paris opposes Turkey's membership bid, though it has allowed Ankara to continue the process of opening several of the 35 policy chapters which must be successfully negotiated prior to joining.

Turk also said the European Union could not leave a "black hole in the western Balkans", and must clearly define the region's European future.

The European Commission has made clear that the whole of the Balkan region has a future within the EU, including Serbia and Kosovo.

Turk also said that Ukraine and Moldova should also have "the perspective of EU membership".

Turkey began official EU membership talks along with Croatia in 2005.

Since then Croatia has made much better progress towards membership as the Turkish negotiations have been hampered by its refusal to trade freely with EU member Cyprus as well as misgivings at admitting a large, mainly Muslim nation into the group.

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