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Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Dec 22 2011
Minister incites Turks to boycott French goods
ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News
Turkey's EU Minister warns that 'Turks decide on their own' implying
that they will boycott against French goods as they did before against
Italy if France approves the bill punishing denial of Armenian
'genocide'.
Activists from the People's Voice Party (HSP) and Hak-İş, a trade
union known to be close to the government, lays black wreaths outside
the French Embassy in Ankara. DAILY NEWS photo, Selahattin SÖNMEZ
Turkey's EU minister said Turkish people would react to France's
Armenian "genocide" denial bill without any push from the Turkish
government.
"We saw in the past for the case of Italy, those who emptied wine onto
[the streets] and burned coats and cravats were this country's people.
There is no need for suggestion, this nation's people decide on their
own," EU Minister Egemen Bağış told reporters yesterday.
Bağış said Turks would react by not consuming French goods in response
to the controversial bill.
Meanwhile, Turkish Science, Industry and Technology Minister Nihat
Ergün said Turkey would probably not assume an embargo policy against
France nor violate international agreements. However, France should
take into consideration the uneasiness that would emerge in Turkish
society, Ergün said.
Bülent Eczacıbaşı, president of the board of directors of Eczacıbaşı
Holding, said any boycott against the French firms in Turkey would
harm the Turkish economy. "It would not be wise to punish those
companies working in Turkey; by doing that we will hurt ourselves. We
should be calm and our steps should be outcome-oriented. We should
avoid taking steps with anger that could be detrimental to ourselves,"
he said.
Eczacıbaşı, who is also the chairman of Istanbul Foundation for
Culture and Arts (İKSV), said he is against a sanction being imposed
in the domain of art and culture. "Art and culture establish bridges
between people. If there are problems between people we need to make
more use of these cultural bridges," he said.
In a last warning to France over the Armenian "genocide" denial bill,
Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek said bilateral ties were under threat
of "irreparable damage" and urged French lawmakers to use "common
sense." The planned bill has united Turkey's ruling and opposition
parties in Parliament, which in a joint declaration denounced it as a
"grave, unacceptable and historic mistake."
"We strongly condemn the proposal which denigrates Turkish history,"
the parties said, urging France to consider its own past, including
its involvement in bloodshed in Algeria and Rwanda. The Nationalist
Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli urged the government to
stand firm against France, stressing that the crisis provided ground
to abandon reconciliation efforts with Armenia.
"A great honor struggle awaits the [ruling Justice and Development
Party] AKP. This is a precious opportunity for them to end their
lethargy and step back from the concessions given as part of the
opening to Armenia," said Bahçeli.
Speaking outside the French Embassy, Republican People's Party (CHP)
deputy Tanju Özcan he would personally travel to France if the bill
was passed and declare that the "Armenian genocide claims are the
biggest lie of the century." CHP deputies Ali Özgündüz and Atilla Kart
resigned in protest from the Turkey-France Parliamentary Friendship
Group.
Activists from the People's Voice Party (HSP) and members of Hak-İş, a
trade union known to be politically close to the government, laid
black wreaths outside the French Embassy in peaceful demonstrations.
December/22/2011
From: A. Papazian
Dec 22 2011
Minister incites Turks to boycott French goods
ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News
Turkey's EU Minister warns that 'Turks decide on their own' implying
that they will boycott against French goods as they did before against
Italy if France approves the bill punishing denial of Armenian
'genocide'.
Activists from the People's Voice Party (HSP) and Hak-İş, a trade
union known to be close to the government, lays black wreaths outside
the French Embassy in Ankara. DAILY NEWS photo, Selahattin SÖNMEZ
Turkey's EU minister said Turkish people would react to France's
Armenian "genocide" denial bill without any push from the Turkish
government.
"We saw in the past for the case of Italy, those who emptied wine onto
[the streets] and burned coats and cravats were this country's people.
There is no need for suggestion, this nation's people decide on their
own," EU Minister Egemen Bağış told reporters yesterday.
Bağış said Turks would react by not consuming French goods in response
to the controversial bill.
Meanwhile, Turkish Science, Industry and Technology Minister Nihat
Ergün said Turkey would probably not assume an embargo policy against
France nor violate international agreements. However, France should
take into consideration the uneasiness that would emerge in Turkish
society, Ergün said.
Bülent Eczacıbaşı, president of the board of directors of Eczacıbaşı
Holding, said any boycott against the French firms in Turkey would
harm the Turkish economy. "It would not be wise to punish those
companies working in Turkey; by doing that we will hurt ourselves. We
should be calm and our steps should be outcome-oriented. We should
avoid taking steps with anger that could be detrimental to ourselves,"
he said.
Eczacıbaşı, who is also the chairman of Istanbul Foundation for
Culture and Arts (İKSV), said he is against a sanction being imposed
in the domain of art and culture. "Art and culture establish bridges
between people. If there are problems between people we need to make
more use of these cultural bridges," he said.
In a last warning to France over the Armenian "genocide" denial bill,
Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek said bilateral ties were under threat
of "irreparable damage" and urged French lawmakers to use "common
sense." The planned bill has united Turkey's ruling and opposition
parties in Parliament, which in a joint declaration denounced it as a
"grave, unacceptable and historic mistake."
"We strongly condemn the proposal which denigrates Turkish history,"
the parties said, urging France to consider its own past, including
its involvement in bloodshed in Algeria and Rwanda. The Nationalist
Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli urged the government to
stand firm against France, stressing that the crisis provided ground
to abandon reconciliation efforts with Armenia.
"A great honor struggle awaits the [ruling Justice and Development
Party] AKP. This is a precious opportunity for them to end their
lethargy and step back from the concessions given as part of the
opening to Armenia," said Bahçeli.
Speaking outside the French Embassy, Republican People's Party (CHP)
deputy Tanju Özcan he would personally travel to France if the bill
was passed and declare that the "Armenian genocide claims are the
biggest lie of the century." CHP deputies Ali Özgündüz and Atilla Kart
resigned in protest from the Turkey-France Parliamentary Friendship
Group.
Activists from the People's Voice Party (HSP) and members of Hak-İş, a
trade union known to be politically close to the government, laid
black wreaths outside the French Embassy in peaceful demonstrations.
December/22/2011
From: A. Papazian