Chirac belooft Fransen een referendum over Turks lidmaatschap EU (en)

French President Jacques Chirac has said the French Constitution should be amended so that referenda on future enlargements of the European Union can be held - paving the way for a referendum on Turkey.

"French citizens are to have a say", Mr Chirac announced after meeting German chancellor Gerhard Schröder in Strasbourg on Friday (1 October).

However, he made it clear that the accession of Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia - expected in 2007 - should not be put to a public poll.

Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia's membership of the EU should not to be subject to referenda as adhesion to the bloc "has practically been achieved".

He also insisted that ratification of the European Constitution should not be linked to Turkish membership of the EU.

Both leaders said they were in favour of Turkish EU membership.

But the French public has appeared reluctant about Ankara's membership bid.

Recent polls showed 56 percent of French citizens are opposed to Turkish entry with only 36 percent in favour.

A majority of Germans (62%) also support holding a referendum on Turkey, according to a survey commissioned by Die Welt newspaper.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports that the German Chancellor did not rule out eventually having a referendum on Turkey.