Tweet
Global Insight
June 22, 2012
Turkey Set to Resume Normal Bilateral Ties with France
BY: James Goundry
Turkey signalled yesterday (21 June) that it was prepared to restore
its ties with France to normality after a period of strained
relations. Turkey suspended military and political co-operation with
France and threatened further measures in December 2011, following a
move by the former centre-right government to pass a bill outlawing
genocide denial. The French state recognises only two genocides: the
holocaust and the death of up to 1.5 million Armenians in Anatolia at
the end of the first world war. The criminalisation bill was thus
viewed by Turkey as a direct reference to the Armenian genocide,
something the Turkish government has fiercely refused to recognise. In
the final instance, the bill was ruled unconstitutional by the French
judiciary; however, former president Nicolas Sarkozy had pledged to
reintroduce a modified bill, had he been re-elected. The advent of a
new government in France under Socialist president Francois Hollande
provides an opportunity for both countries to place their relationship
on a better footing. Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu will
visit French capital Paris in July, after which bilateral ties should
be fully restored. Hollande has also accepted an invitation from
Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdo an to visit Turkey. This will
be the first official visit by a French president in 20 years.
Significance:The latest announcement reflects the warming of ties
between France and Turkey following the departure of Sarkozy. In
addition to Sarkozy's moves to criminalise genocide denial, the former
president had also made some incendiary comments about Turkish
immigrants in Europe, and was firmly against Turkish accession to the
EU. Hollande has taken a much more conciliatory approach, paving the
way for a thaw in relations. A resumption in military and political
bilateral co-operation will be welcomed by both sides; however,
despite verbose threats, Turkish anger over the genocide bill resulted
in little concrete harm to French interests. The warming in relations
is unlikely to have profound implications in the short or medium term
for Turkey's EU accession prospects, particularly as Cyprus assumes
the rotating EU presidency on 1 July, prompting Turkey to suspend its
EU relations.
From: Baghdasarian
June 22, 2012
Turkey Set to Resume Normal Bilateral Ties with France
BY: James Goundry
Turkey signalled yesterday (21 June) that it was prepared to restore
its ties with France to normality after a period of strained
relations. Turkey suspended military and political co-operation with
France and threatened further measures in December 2011, following a
move by the former centre-right government to pass a bill outlawing
genocide denial. The French state recognises only two genocides: the
holocaust and the death of up to 1.5 million Armenians in Anatolia at
the end of the first world war. The criminalisation bill was thus
viewed by Turkey as a direct reference to the Armenian genocide,
something the Turkish government has fiercely refused to recognise. In
the final instance, the bill was ruled unconstitutional by the French
judiciary; however, former president Nicolas Sarkozy had pledged to
reintroduce a modified bill, had he been re-elected. The advent of a
new government in France under Socialist president Francois Hollande
provides an opportunity for both countries to place their relationship
on a better footing. Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu will
visit French capital Paris in July, after which bilateral ties should
be fully restored. Hollande has also accepted an invitation from
Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdo an to visit Turkey. This will
be the first official visit by a French president in 20 years.
Significance:The latest announcement reflects the warming of ties
between France and Turkey following the departure of Sarkozy. In
addition to Sarkozy's moves to criminalise genocide denial, the former
president had also made some incendiary comments about Turkish
immigrants in Europe, and was firmly against Turkish accession to the
EU. Hollande has taken a much more conciliatory approach, paving the
way for a thaw in relations. A resumption in military and political
bilateral co-operation will be welcomed by both sides; however,
despite verbose threats, Turkish anger over the genocide bill resulted
in little concrete harm to French interests. The warming in relations
is unlikely to have profound implications in the short or medium term
for Turkey's EU accession prospects, particularly as Cyprus assumes
the rotating EU presidency on 1 July, prompting Turkey to suspend its
EU relations.
From: Baghdasarian