BRUSSELS, Nov 11: Former French president Valery Giscard d’Estaing’s controversial comments last week warning that Turkish membership of the European Union would mean “the end of the EU” have triggered another bout of desperate handwringing among Europe’s politicians on the traditionally difficult relationship with Ankara.

Giscard who heads a 105-member convention on EU reform has no doubt that Muslim Turkey has no place in a predominantly Christian Europe.

“Turkey is a country close to Europe, an important country,” Giscard told a French daily last week, adding: “But it is not a European country. Its capital is not in Europe, it has 95 per cent of its population outside of Europe.”

“Those who are pushing hardest for enlargement in the direction of Turkey are adversaries of the EU,” Giscard said, in implicit reference to the United States which sees Turkey as a key Middle East ally.

Reaction from across the bloc has been rapid, with EU leaders, diplomats and politicians shrugging off Giscard’s comments and insisting that despite the victory of the Justice and Development Party Ankara remains on a list of countries eligible for membership of the 15 nation bloc.

European Commission President Romano Prodi insisted that Turkey must be able to join the EU if it meets entry conditions members, warning: “It would be a tragedy to consider religion as a divisive factor”.

“I am against any clash of civilisations,” Prodi said, adding that the “historic and cultural differences” with Turkey could be overcome. “If there is no dialogue with Turkey, tragedy will follow,” he cautioned.

But many Europeans also admit in informal comments that Giscard is not wrong to focus on religion as an issue in EU membership. “Giscard is only saying publicly what most people in Europe think privately,” one EU policymaker told Dawn, adding that like it or not, many people in the EU believed it was a “Christian club.”

The debate over Turkey is also particularly relevant because the convention headed by Giscard is mulling over suggestions that any new EU treaty should include a reference to Christianity and God. Although no formal treaty reference to the Almighty is expected at the end of the day, observers say it is significant that a Europe that takes pride in its secular traditions should be debating the issue at the start of the 21st Century.

Turkey’s chances for joining the EU have actually been improving over the last few months. In an apparent change of heart and eager to curry favour with the US many EU governments, including Germany, are now pushing for a more flexible stance on Turkey’s long-standing membership bid.