HURRIYET: TURKEY NO ELECTION TOOL, ANKARA TELLS FRENCH RIVALS
http://armenianow.com/genocide/32314/turkey_discontent_sarcozy_armenia_visit
Genocide | 11.10.11 | 14:21
Photolure
Nicholas Sarkozy
In the view of upcoming presidential elections, the Ankara government
has urged French politicians not to use Turkey as a tool in their
campaigns following both French President Nicholas Sarkozy and
prominent Socialist candidate Francois Hollande exploiting the Armenian
"genocide" claims last week, writes Hurriyet Daily.
Turkey's Ambassador to Paris Tahsin Burcuoglu sent a letter to Hollande
urging him to avoid making Turkey a daily domestic political issue
after the prominent socialist candidate promised backing the draft
of a law criminalizing denial of Armenian genocide.
"The message we have conveyed does not solely refer to Sarkozy, but
to the entire French political class," a senior Turkish diplomat told.
"We have underlined that this kind of rhetoric does not serve anything
other than to ruin our bilateral relations. We want to improve our
relations, but these statements are not helpful to this end."
Up to 400,000 French citizens of Armenian descent reside in France and
comprise an influential political group. Sarkozy, who risks losing his
seat to Socialists, visited Armenia last week from where he threatened
Turkey to recognize the killings of Armenians during the World War I
at the hands of Ottoman Empire as genocide before his presidential
mandate expires next May or he would adopt a law criminalizing the
denial of genocide. "
We know all French politicians are making similar statements, but
Sarkozy was very careless in doing so as he tried to threaten Turkey
just a few steps away from our soil," the diplomat said
Turkey imposed economic sanctions on France in the past after Paris
recognized the Armenian genocide.
http://armenianow.com/genocide/32314/turkey_discontent_sarcozy_armenia_visit
Genocide | 11.10.11 | 14:21
Photolure
Nicholas Sarkozy
In the view of upcoming presidential elections, the Ankara government
has urged French politicians not to use Turkey as a tool in their
campaigns following both French President Nicholas Sarkozy and
prominent Socialist candidate Francois Hollande exploiting the Armenian
"genocide" claims last week, writes Hurriyet Daily.
Turkey's Ambassador to Paris Tahsin Burcuoglu sent a letter to Hollande
urging him to avoid making Turkey a daily domestic political issue
after the prominent socialist candidate promised backing the draft
of a law criminalizing denial of Armenian genocide.
"The message we have conveyed does not solely refer to Sarkozy, but
to the entire French political class," a senior Turkish diplomat told.
"We have underlined that this kind of rhetoric does not serve anything
other than to ruin our bilateral relations. We want to improve our
relations, but these statements are not helpful to this end."
Up to 400,000 French citizens of Armenian descent reside in France and
comprise an influential political group. Sarkozy, who risks losing his
seat to Socialists, visited Armenia last week from where he threatened
Turkey to recognize the killings of Armenians during the World War I
at the hands of Ottoman Empire as genocide before his presidential
mandate expires next May or he would adopt a law criminalizing the
denial of genocide. "
We know all French politicians are making similar statements, but
Sarkozy was very careless in doing so as he tried to threaten Turkey
just a few steps away from our soil," the diplomat said
Turkey imposed economic sanctions on France in the past after Paris
recognized the Armenian genocide.