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ANKARA: Turkey Continues Boycott Of French Goods

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  • ANKARA: Turkey Continues Boycott Of French Goods

    TURKEY CONTINUES BOYCOTT OF FRENCH GOODS
    Isa Sezen, Yahya Cark, Ercan Baysal, Mehmet Guler, Besir Sozer, Omer Sari

    Zaman, Turkey
    Oct 15 2006

    Turkish consumers are launching a boycott of French goods following
    the French parliament's decision to pass the Armenian bill, which
    foresees punishment of those denying an Armenian genocide. Some Turkish
    citizens are refusing to buy products upon learning they are French.

    Consumers associations called on consumers to boycott French goods
    while some chain stores are putting labels on French goods to inform
    consumers of their French origin.

    Kiler, a leading retailer, has decided not to sell French goods. Afra
    Shopping Center, a supermarket chain operating in Konya, is putting
    labels on approximately 100 French products that read, "This is a
    French product."

    The French store Carrefour, a partnership in Turkey with Sabanci
    Holdings, has been the most affected by the protests. The number of
    cars parked at the shopping center has been declining daily. Fewer
    customers are coming to the shopping center with every passing day.

    There has been a 30 percent decrease in the sales of Total oil,
    which is on top of the Consumers Association's list.

    French Goods Removed from Stores Kiler Retail Chain, which has 130
    stores in Turkey, suspended sales of French products. The retailer
    chain cancelled its contracts with Danone and French cosmetics
    companies and also removed other French goods from their shelves.

    Kiler, which means cellar in Turkish, will put posters criticizing the
    bill approved by the French parliament on the shelves left empty by the
    absent French products. Officials of the chain asserted that reactions
    from their customers were highly influential in making this decision.

    LC Waikiki: We are a Turkish Company

    Clothing company LC Waikiki announced that it was not a French company
    as presented to the public, but a Turkish company. The company issued
    a full page announcement in daily newspapers in Turkey after its name
    was mentioned on the list of products to be boycotted.

    The company's announcement asserted that they needed to explain
    their origin after some Internet forums claimed they were French. The
    announcement read, "LC Waikiki was purchased from French DDKA Company
    by Tema Textile Corporation in 1997 and became a Turkish company."

    Carrefour Parking Lot Empty

    The number of customers at the French Carrefour in Turkey has decreased
    dramatically. Some executives suggested that the decrease in the number
    of visitors could be due to Ramadan, in addition to the protests. An
    official from the Istanbul center said: "Normally, on Saturdays it
    was impossible to find empty places in the parking lot and parking
    garage. Yesterday our parking garage was almost empty."

    Danone Products Returned

    Onur Hypermarkets Beylikduzu location Manager Ekrem Yilmaz said that
    people who bought Danone products were beginning to return them after
    learning that Danone was a French company.

    "There is no strong reaction yet. Some of our customers brought back
    Danone products they had previously purchased. Some of them returned
    them claiming the product had expired," said Yilmaz.
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