June 11, 2007 - 18:06 AMT
Olli Rehn: Sarkozy's policy may result in collision of civilizations
The European Union Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn has warned French President Nicolas Sarkozy regarding his stance on Turkey's membership. "If you block Turkey's membership to the European Union, you will cause a clash of civilizations," said Rehn. He also underlined a clash of civilizations between the West and Islam would be the "consequence" if Nicolas Sarkozy succeeds in blocking Turkey's European Union membership.

"Turkey's accession to the European club is the defining geopolitical issue of the 21st century. The greatest challenge of our time is the relationship between Europe and Islam, or more widely between the West and Islam. Turkey is an anchor of stability in the most unstable region of the world, in the wider Middle East. It is a benchmark for democracy for the Muslim world from Morocco to Malaysia," Rehn said, Daily Telegraph Newspaper reports.