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TURKEY VOWS ECONOMIC SANCTIONS IF FRANCE ADOPTS CONTROVERSIAL BILL
Turkish Daily News
Oct 9 2006
Foreign Minister Gul says, 'If the bill is passed, French
participation in major economic projects in Turkey, including the
planned construction of a nuclear plant for which the tender process
is expected to soon begin, will suffer,'
Turkish leaders warned of economic sanctions against France if the
controversial bill criminalizing any denial of the alleged genocide
of Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire was adopted.
"If the bill is passed, French participation in major economic
projects in Turkey, including the planned construction of a nuclear
plant for which the tender process is expected to soon begin, will
suffer," Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was quoted as saying in remarks
published yesterday.
"We will be absolutely unable to have [such cooperation] in big
tenders," Gul told mass-circulation daily Hurriyet, adding that he had
"openly" warned his French counterpart Philippe Douste-Blazy about
the repercussions of the bill.
The French bill, to be debated at the National Assembly on Thursday,
calls for five years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros for anyone
who denies that the Armenians under the Ottoman Empire were subjected
to a genocide during World War I. The adoption of the bill is seen
a high possibility.
In remarks to another Turkish daily Yeni Þafak, Gul said the
government's reaction and the general reaction of the public would
be inevitable if the developments continued as they were.
"The French will lose Turkey," he said.
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer reportedly sent a letter to his French
counterpart, Jacques Chirac, warning that France would lose Turkey
if the contentious bill was legislated. Chirac recently said Turkey
must acknowledge the alleged genocide before joining the EU.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan also expressed his frustration
over the French bill.
"This is an issue between Turkey and Armenia. It is none of France's
business," said.
"If Turkey's prime minister -- or any other minister, a historian or an
intellectual -- goes to France one day and says it was not a genocide,
what are you going to do? Throw that person in jail?" he asked.
"I'm afraid that the adoption of the bill will deal a very serious
blow to our political and economic relations with France which will
be impossible to repair."
On Saturday, Erdoðan met with representatives of French companies
doing business in Turkey behind closed doors, urging them to lobby
French lawmakers to vote down the bill.
"I ask that you make all effort possible to prevent this," Erdoðan
was quoted as telling them.
French companies represented at the meeting included Danone, Peugeot,
Renault and Lafarge. France passed in 2001 a resolution recognizing
the killings as genocide, prompting Ankara to retaliate by sidelining
French companies from public tenders and canceling several projects
awarded to French firms.
Erdoðan also said the Turkish public viewed the bill as a "hostile
act," and said the legislation was against freedom of thought.
A 430-member Turkish-French Association sent letters to the French
headquarters of their companies, calling on the National Assembly to
turn down the bill, which would cause permanent damage to France's
political interests. The French Association of Trade has launched a
petition campaign that condemns the bill. Turkey's leading business
group the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association
(TUSÝAD) also condemned the bill, calling it the reflection of fears
that Turkey's bid for EU membership can come true and an attempt at
disrupting efforts for constructive dialogue and analytical debate.
"I appeal to French politicians: Don't you see that you are
jeopardizing all the political, economic and social relations that
France has had with Turkey for centuries for the sake of your
own political interests?" Omer Sabancý, head of TUSÝAD, said in
a statement.
On Friday, the Foreign Ministry warned that the adoption of the bill
could jeopardize "investments, the fruit of years of work, and France
will -- so to speak -- lose Turkey."
Ankara says the bill is designed as a political gesture to France's
Armenian community. Many here also see it as a punch below the belt
by opponents of Turkey's EU membership that will tarnish the country's
image in Europe and fan anti-Western sentiment among Turks.
Military warns of cutting ties with France:
The military expressed full agreement with the Foreign Ministry,
which warned that the bill would inflict an irreparable heavy blow
to Turkish-French ties.
Speaking to daily Hurriyet, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaþar
Buyukanýt said if the bill was adopted, Turkey would cut military
ties with France.
If the French National Assembly votes for the bill on Thursday,
Turkey will close its doors to mutual visits, including military
visits. Joint military exercises with France will be dropped from
the agenda. Also, French firms will be prevented to run for bids in
Turkey, Hurriyet said.
--Boundary_(ID_SPh1+LDj/XJcF9gc0uNN7Q)--
Turkish Daily News
Oct 9 2006
Foreign Minister Gul says, 'If the bill is passed, French
participation in major economic projects in Turkey, including the
planned construction of a nuclear plant for which the tender process
is expected to soon begin, will suffer,'
Turkish leaders warned of economic sanctions against France if the
controversial bill criminalizing any denial of the alleged genocide
of Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire was adopted.
"If the bill is passed, French participation in major economic
projects in Turkey, including the planned construction of a nuclear
plant for which the tender process is expected to soon begin, will
suffer," Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was quoted as saying in remarks
published yesterday.
"We will be absolutely unable to have [such cooperation] in big
tenders," Gul told mass-circulation daily Hurriyet, adding that he had
"openly" warned his French counterpart Philippe Douste-Blazy about
the repercussions of the bill.
The French bill, to be debated at the National Assembly on Thursday,
calls for five years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros for anyone
who denies that the Armenians under the Ottoman Empire were subjected
to a genocide during World War I. The adoption of the bill is seen
a high possibility.
In remarks to another Turkish daily Yeni Þafak, Gul said the
government's reaction and the general reaction of the public would
be inevitable if the developments continued as they were.
"The French will lose Turkey," he said.
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer reportedly sent a letter to his French
counterpart, Jacques Chirac, warning that France would lose Turkey
if the contentious bill was legislated. Chirac recently said Turkey
must acknowledge the alleged genocide before joining the EU.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan also expressed his frustration
over the French bill.
"This is an issue between Turkey and Armenia. It is none of France's
business," said.
"If Turkey's prime minister -- or any other minister, a historian or an
intellectual -- goes to France one day and says it was not a genocide,
what are you going to do? Throw that person in jail?" he asked.
"I'm afraid that the adoption of the bill will deal a very serious
blow to our political and economic relations with France which will
be impossible to repair."
On Saturday, Erdoðan met with representatives of French companies
doing business in Turkey behind closed doors, urging them to lobby
French lawmakers to vote down the bill.
"I ask that you make all effort possible to prevent this," Erdoðan
was quoted as telling them.
French companies represented at the meeting included Danone, Peugeot,
Renault and Lafarge. France passed in 2001 a resolution recognizing
the killings as genocide, prompting Ankara to retaliate by sidelining
French companies from public tenders and canceling several projects
awarded to French firms.
Erdoðan also said the Turkish public viewed the bill as a "hostile
act," and said the legislation was against freedom of thought.
A 430-member Turkish-French Association sent letters to the French
headquarters of their companies, calling on the National Assembly to
turn down the bill, which would cause permanent damage to France's
political interests. The French Association of Trade has launched a
petition campaign that condemns the bill. Turkey's leading business
group the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association
(TUSÝAD) also condemned the bill, calling it the reflection of fears
that Turkey's bid for EU membership can come true and an attempt at
disrupting efforts for constructive dialogue and analytical debate.
"I appeal to French politicians: Don't you see that you are
jeopardizing all the political, economic and social relations that
France has had with Turkey for centuries for the sake of your
own political interests?" Omer Sabancý, head of TUSÝAD, said in
a statement.
On Friday, the Foreign Ministry warned that the adoption of the bill
could jeopardize "investments, the fruit of years of work, and France
will -- so to speak -- lose Turkey."
Ankara says the bill is designed as a political gesture to France's
Armenian community. Many here also see it as a punch below the belt
by opponents of Turkey's EU membership that will tarnish the country's
image in Europe and fan anti-Western sentiment among Turks.
Military warns of cutting ties with France:
The military expressed full agreement with the Foreign Ministry,
which warned that the bill would inflict an irreparable heavy blow
to Turkish-French ties.
Speaking to daily Hurriyet, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaþar
Buyukanýt said if the bill was adopted, Turkey would cut military
ties with France.
If the French National Assembly votes for the bill on Thursday,
Turkey will close its doors to mutual visits, including military
visits. Joint military exercises with France will be dropped from
the agenda. Also, French firms will be prevented to run for bids in
Turkey, Hurriyet said.
--Boundary_(ID_SPh1+LDj/XJcF9gc0uNN7Q)--