Mr Erdogan (r) admits actual membership is still a long way off

A spokeswoman for Mr Chirac said he had urged Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to pursue reform to improve Turkey's position for EU entry. A decision on whether to allow Turkey to join accession talks is due to be taken in Brussels later this year.

Some senior French politicians have opposed Turkish membership, and polls show most French want it to stay out.

The BBC's Jonny Dymond in Istanbul says that in the minds of many Turkish people there is little doubt that France is the member state which is most openly hostile to the membership bid.

'Constructive approach'

French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier has warned that even if Turkey is allowed to attend the talks, full membership could still be years away.

Mr Erdogan seemed to support this theory, saying after talks with Mr Chirac in Paris that the decision on accession negotiations was far from being a decision on actual membership.

He thanked the French president for his "constructive approach" towards Turkey's application.

Mr Chirac's spokeswoman said he had provided encouragement to Mr Erdogan.

"Turkey has made considerable progress," she quoted him as saying. "It should continue and intensify the implementation of democratic and economic reforms."