Turkish PM criticises Sarkozy ahead of Ankara visit

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s attitude to Turkey. Sarkozy is due to visit Turkey on Friday.

Reuters/Osman Orsal

“We would have liked to welcome him as president of France, but on Friday he comes ... as chairman of the G20,” Erdogan told French news agency AFP. "This is not a visit at the level of the friendship between Turkey and France. Turkey and Turkish-French ties deserve better than that."

Sarkozy will spend five or six hours in the Turkish capital, Ankara.

"We also regret that Sarkozy has not visited Turkey since he became president. The president of Turkey went to France and so did I, as prime minister," Erdogan added.

Sarkozy opposes the entry of Turkey to the European Union, arguing instead that it should enter into a privileged partnership with the EU.

“We do not want to sacrifice our economic relations to these negative political attitudes,” said Erdogan. “Relations between political leaders shouldn’t erode relations between two countries.”

The criticism came two days after a group of French diplomats called Sarkozy’s foreign policy amateurish, impulsive and obsessed with its image in the media.