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'LET SARKOZY WORRY ON FRANCE, NOT TURKEY'
Hurriyet Daily News
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=8216let-sarkozy-worry-on-france-not-turkey8217-2011-10-18
Oct 18 2011
Turkey
French leader Nicolas Sarkozy should worry more about tackling his
country's economic problems rather than giving advice to Turkey,
Turkish Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan has said in reference to the
president's recent comments in Armenia.
"Sarkozy should sort out the French economy first," Caglayan said
while speaking at the World Turkish Business Council (DTIK) meeting
organized by the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEİK).
"He will have to defend himself before the French people for spending
their savings to save Greece from sinking," he said.
The French president previously said "everybody must have the courage
to call the 1915 events a genocide," in Yerevan on Oct. 5 while
addressing Armenian media during his Caucasus tour.
His statement was a reference to the historic dispute between
Armenia and Turkey. Armenia claims up to 1.5 million Armenians were
systematically killed in 1915 under the rule of the Ottoman Empire.
Turkey denies this, saying any deaths were the result of civil strife
that erupted when Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern
Anatolia.
Claiming that Sarkozy's statements stemmed from domestic political
considerations, the Turkish minister said there were 500,000 Armenian
people living in France "but they also have nearly 500,000 Turkish
people living there, too."
The Armenians living in France are much more integrated with the
French economy than the Turkish diaspora, Caglayan said. There are
approximately 6 million Turks living in Europe.
Strength from the Turkish diaspora
He said the millions of Turkish citizens who mostly immigrated to
European countries in 1960s have turned into employers now running over
150,000 enterprises and posting nearly $50 billion in revenue annually.
"We are used to using the word 'diaspora' negatively," said Caglayan,
noting that more and more Turkish businessmen who immigrated abroad
years ago are now looking for ways to join forces and invest in Turkey.
The DTIK aims to gather 2,000 Turkish businessmen living abroad.
Representatives of the DTIK have so far visited Amsterdam and Frankfurt
and will visit New York tomorrow, followed by Dubai on Oct.
24 and London on Oct. 31, said Rona Yırcalı, board chairman of
the group.
Muhtar Kent, the chief executive and president of the Coca-Cola
Company, will chair the World Turkish Business Council as the head
of the DTIK's high advisory committee.
Rifat Hisarcıklıoglu, the chairman of the Union of Turkish Chambers &
Commodity Exchange (TOBB), said during the event that nearly 6 million
Jews living abroad have traditionally played an important role in
the United States' internal and foreign policies.
"Now Turkey can well do the same by combining the forces of the
Turkish diaspora and lobbying for Turkey," said Hisarcıklıoglu.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Hurriyet Daily News
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=8216let-sarkozy-worry-on-france-not-turkey8217-2011-10-18
Oct 18 2011
Turkey
French leader Nicolas Sarkozy should worry more about tackling his
country's economic problems rather than giving advice to Turkey,
Turkish Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan has said in reference to the
president's recent comments in Armenia.
"Sarkozy should sort out the French economy first," Caglayan said
while speaking at the World Turkish Business Council (DTIK) meeting
organized by the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEİK).
"He will have to defend himself before the French people for spending
their savings to save Greece from sinking," he said.
The French president previously said "everybody must have the courage
to call the 1915 events a genocide," in Yerevan on Oct. 5 while
addressing Armenian media during his Caucasus tour.
His statement was a reference to the historic dispute between
Armenia and Turkey. Armenia claims up to 1.5 million Armenians were
systematically killed in 1915 under the rule of the Ottoman Empire.
Turkey denies this, saying any deaths were the result of civil strife
that erupted when Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern
Anatolia.
Claiming that Sarkozy's statements stemmed from domestic political
considerations, the Turkish minister said there were 500,000 Armenian
people living in France "but they also have nearly 500,000 Turkish
people living there, too."
The Armenians living in France are much more integrated with the
French economy than the Turkish diaspora, Caglayan said. There are
approximately 6 million Turks living in Europe.
Strength from the Turkish diaspora
He said the millions of Turkish citizens who mostly immigrated to
European countries in 1960s have turned into employers now running over
150,000 enterprises and posting nearly $50 billion in revenue annually.
"We are used to using the word 'diaspora' negatively," said Caglayan,
noting that more and more Turkish businessmen who immigrated abroad
years ago are now looking for ways to join forces and invest in Turkey.
The DTIK aims to gather 2,000 Turkish businessmen living abroad.
Representatives of the DTIK have so far visited Amsterdam and Frankfurt
and will visit New York tomorrow, followed by Dubai on Oct.
24 and London on Oct. 31, said Rona Yırcalı, board chairman of
the group.
Muhtar Kent, the chief executive and president of the Coca-Cola
Company, will chair the World Turkish Business Council as the head
of the DTIK's high advisory committee.
Rifat Hisarcıklıoglu, the chairman of the Union of Turkish Chambers &
Commodity Exchange (TOBB), said during the event that nearly 6 million
Jews living abroad have traditionally played an important role in
the United States' internal and foreign policies.
"Now Turkey can well do the same by combining the forces of the
Turkish diaspora and lobbying for Turkey," said Hisarcıklıoglu.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress