French President Francois Hollande has played down fears about Turkey’s bid to join the European Union, saying that the French will vote on the issue in a referendum.“No need to stoke fears. The French people will [in] any case be consulted,” Hollande said in a press conference with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul during a state visit to Ankara, the first by a French leader in 22 years. “The [membership] process must be carried forward with the most difficult subjects, subjects that are necessarily the hardest,” Hollande added.