The Italian foreign minister said on Monday that Europe did not have the luxury to lose Turkey.

Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini defined Turkey as an important partner of the European Union (EU).

Europe did not have the luxury to lose Turkey, Frattini said during a meeting of foreign ministers of EU member states.

Frattini said Europe made a mistake by not signaling for rapprochement for Turkey.

Turkey's feeling that it had been abandoned by Europe and Turkey's shifting to other region were not for the best interests of the EU, the minister also said.

Turkey is a candidate country for EU membership since the Helsinki European Council of December 1999. Accession negotiations started in October 2005 with the analytical examination of the EU legislation.


AA