"World Agenda: EU prepares to welcome President Tony Blair
...Berlin and Paris will liaise to make sure they get the president they want and one key policy difference is looming which could wreck Mr Blair’s chances. As Prime Minister he was instrumental in relaunching Turkey’s application for EU membership in 2005. Since then the French and Germans have become increasing hostile, with Mr Sarkozy openly talking about Europe’s natural borders stopping well before the Bosphorus.
Mr Blair could neutralise this issue — no one, not even Turkey’s most fervent supporters, envisages it joining in the next five years, the maximum possible length of the first EU president’s mandate... "
More:World Agenda: EU prepares to welcome President Tony Blair - Times Online