28 FEBRUARY 2004, Page 24

Talking Turkey

From Armand Laferrere Sir: After having stated in a nuanced way that all opponents to Turkey's entry to the European Union are mad, bad or stupid, Denis MacShane ('Why Turkey is good for Europe', 21 February) goes on to berate us French right-wingers for planning to call a referendum on the issue. Nothing could show more clearly what New Labour grandees think of the voters.

It is, of course, much more enlightened to believe, as Mr MacShane clearly does, that 'a thousand years' (much more, actually) of conflict between Islam and Christianity can be brought to an end by milk subsidies.

Armand Laferrere

Paris