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PM ERDOGAN WARNS FRANCE OF ECONOMIC RESULTS OF ITS 'ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL'
The New Anatolian, Turkey
Oct 9 2006
"Turkish people will consider the proposal of France as a hostile act,"
said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan regarding the resolution
which envisions penal sanctions to denial of so-called Armenian
genocide and to be debated at French Parliament.
Erdoðan met in Ýstanbul executives of French companies which have large
operations in Turkey as well as representatives from Turkish-French
Commercial Association, TUSÝAD, TOBB, Foreign Economic Relations Board
(DEÝK) and Turkish-French Chamber of Commerce on Saturday.
Speaking at the meeting, Erdoðan said that Turkey-France relations
should be eliminated from mortgage of third parties.
Erdoðan expressed uneasiness about the draft law to be debated at
French Parliament.
Stressing that the resolution will consider denial of so-called
Armenian genocide as crime, Erdoðan said, "so where is freedom of
thought? Where are Copenhagen political criteria?"
"Our people will consider this draft law as a hostile act of France,"
he added.
"Unfortunately, I think the adoption of this draft law will strike
down our political and commercial relations. Our warning should not
be underestimated," he noted.
Drawing attention to the trade partnership of Turkey and France,
Erdoðan recalled that the two countries are together in organizations
like EU and NATO.
Stressing that this current situation can interrupt the economic
relations between the two countries, Erdoðan asked the French
executives to exert every type of effort to prevent this.
Under the bill, people who contest that there was no Armenian genocide
would risk up to a year in prison and fines of up to ~@45,000.
Armenians claim that as many as 1.5 million of their ancestors were
killed in 1915-1923 in an organized campaign to force them out of
eastern Turkey, and have pushed for recognition of the killings around
the world as genocide.
Turkey acknowledges that large numbers of Armenians died, but says
the overall figure is inflated and that the deaths occurred in the
civil unrest during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. But Ankara
is facing increasing pressure to fully acknowledge the killings,
particularly as it seeks membership in the European Union.
French companies in Turkey under business risk On the other hand,
French executives expressed their sensitivity about the issue. French
companies represented at the meeting included Carrefour, AXA, Total,
BNP, Danone, Peugeot, Renault and Lafarge.
Members of Turkish-French Commerce Association said that they sent
letters to senators and parliamentarians in France expressing that
the draft law would not be appropriate in many aspects, and would
give permanent harm to the interests of France.
French executives said that even if the draft law is adopted at
parliament, it will probably not adopted at French senate.
--Boundary_(ID_e1Czm09TNkKW9DFQsthTTQ)--
The New Anatolian, Turkey
Oct 9 2006
"Turkish people will consider the proposal of France as a hostile act,"
said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan regarding the resolution
which envisions penal sanctions to denial of so-called Armenian
genocide and to be debated at French Parliament.
Erdoðan met in Ýstanbul executives of French companies which have large
operations in Turkey as well as representatives from Turkish-French
Commercial Association, TUSÝAD, TOBB, Foreign Economic Relations Board
(DEÝK) and Turkish-French Chamber of Commerce on Saturday.
Speaking at the meeting, Erdoðan said that Turkey-France relations
should be eliminated from mortgage of third parties.
Erdoðan expressed uneasiness about the draft law to be debated at
French Parliament.
Stressing that the resolution will consider denial of so-called
Armenian genocide as crime, Erdoðan said, "so where is freedom of
thought? Where are Copenhagen political criteria?"
"Our people will consider this draft law as a hostile act of France,"
he added.
"Unfortunately, I think the adoption of this draft law will strike
down our political and commercial relations. Our warning should not
be underestimated," he noted.
Drawing attention to the trade partnership of Turkey and France,
Erdoðan recalled that the two countries are together in organizations
like EU and NATO.
Stressing that this current situation can interrupt the economic
relations between the two countries, Erdoðan asked the French
executives to exert every type of effort to prevent this.
Under the bill, people who contest that there was no Armenian genocide
would risk up to a year in prison and fines of up to ~@45,000.
Armenians claim that as many as 1.5 million of their ancestors were
killed in 1915-1923 in an organized campaign to force them out of
eastern Turkey, and have pushed for recognition of the killings around
the world as genocide.
Turkey acknowledges that large numbers of Armenians died, but says
the overall figure is inflated and that the deaths occurred in the
civil unrest during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. But Ankara
is facing increasing pressure to fully acknowledge the killings,
particularly as it seeks membership in the European Union.
French companies in Turkey under business risk On the other hand,
French executives expressed their sensitivity about the issue. French
companies represented at the meeting included Carrefour, AXA, Total,
BNP, Danone, Peugeot, Renault and Lafarge.
Members of Turkish-French Commerce Association said that they sent
letters to senators and parliamentarians in France expressing that
the draft law would not be appropriate in many aspects, and would
give permanent harm to the interests of France.
French executives said that even if the draft law is adopted at
parliament, it will probably not adopted at French senate.
--Boundary_(ID_e1Czm09TNkKW9DFQsthTTQ)--