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Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)
December 23, 2011 Friday
France regrets Turkish envoy recall, other sanctions over Armenia issue
PARIS, Dec 23 (KUNA) - The French government said Friday that it regretted
the decision by Turkey to recall its ambassador to Paris and the other
measures taken to protest the French Parliamentary bill voted Thursday
penalizing any questioning of the Armenian "genocide" which Turkey is blamed
for.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "France regrets these
decisions" by Turkey which also include the suspension of all bilateral
visits, the cancelling of joint military exercises and a ban on port visits by
French navy ships.
Senior government officials here, led by Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, have
called for "restraint" and urged Turkey not to "overreact" to the vote this
week.
"For France, Turkey is a strategic ally and partner," Foreign Ministry
spokesman Bernard Valero said here.
He noted that the two nations were in a variety of organisations together,
notably NATO, the Organisation for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the
G20 and Mediterranean cooperation bodies.
He noted that France and Turkey were working closely together in
Afghanistan and on the Syrian issue.
"It is important in the current context that we keep open lines of dialogue
and cooperation," Valero said.
Diplomats here indicated that France had no plans to recall its ambassador
to Ankara, who is currently in Paris and has a planned date to return to the
Turkish capital.
Trade and investment links could also be damaged by the current dispute.
France invested about USD 11 billion in Turkey in 2011 and has 1,000 companies
in that country, where 100,000 people are employed, the sources said.
There was also about USD 15 billion in trade between France and Turkey this
year and France is Turkey's second largest client market.
The sources further indicated that there are about 350,000 Turks living in
France, 2,000 of these students, while there are 5,500 French nationals living
in Turkey, most in the area of Istanbul.
In retaliation for the French vote on genocide, Turkey on Friday accused
France of genocide during its colonial period in Algeria. (Pick up previous)
jk.ajs
KUNA 231653 Dec 11NNNN
December 23, 2011 Friday
France regrets Turkish envoy recall, other sanctions over Armenia issue
PARIS, Dec 23 (KUNA) - The French government said Friday that it regretted
the decision by Turkey to recall its ambassador to Paris and the other
measures taken to protest the French Parliamentary bill voted Thursday
penalizing any questioning of the Armenian "genocide" which Turkey is blamed
for.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "France regrets these
decisions" by Turkey which also include the suspension of all bilateral
visits, the cancelling of joint military exercises and a ban on port visits by
French navy ships.
Senior government officials here, led by Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, have
called for "restraint" and urged Turkey not to "overreact" to the vote this
week.
"For France, Turkey is a strategic ally and partner," Foreign Ministry
spokesman Bernard Valero said here.
He noted that the two nations were in a variety of organisations together,
notably NATO, the Organisation for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the
G20 and Mediterranean cooperation bodies.
He noted that France and Turkey were working closely together in
Afghanistan and on the Syrian issue.
"It is important in the current context that we keep open lines of dialogue
and cooperation," Valero said.
Diplomats here indicated that France had no plans to recall its ambassador
to Ankara, who is currently in Paris and has a planned date to return to the
Turkish capital.
Trade and investment links could also be damaged by the current dispute.
France invested about USD 11 billion in Turkey in 2011 and has 1,000 companies
in that country, where 100,000 people are employed, the sources said.
There was also about USD 15 billion in trade between France and Turkey this
year and France is Turkey's second largest client market.
The sources further indicated that there are about 350,000 Turks living in
France, 2,000 of these students, while there are 5,500 French nationals living
in Turkey, most in the area of Istanbul.
In retaliation for the French vote on genocide, Turkey on Friday accused
France of genocide during its colonial period in Algeria. (Pick up previous)
jk.ajs
KUNA 231653 Dec 11NNNN