TURKISH MFA DENIES REPORTS THAT SARKOZY WAS NOT INVITED TO ISTANBUL MEETING FOR SYRIA
Hurriyet Daily News
March 5 2012
Turkey
Turkey will host the second gathering of the "Friends of Syria"
group in Istanbul in March to discuss the current cituation in Syria,
with the participation of foreign ministers representing the group's
member countries. Turkish Foreign Ministry officials denied reports
that French President Nicolas Sarkozy was deliberately not invited
to the İstanbul meeting, pointing out that the gathering will take
place at the level of foreign ministers.
Turkey has not ruled out inviting French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe
to the meeting, despite the political strain between two countries
due to the French administration's attempt to criminalize the act of
denying the Armenian "genocide".
"We will still consider inviting Juppe. We won't rule it out, since
this will not be a bilateral meeting, but a multi-party gathering,"
diplomatic sources told Hurriyet Daily News.
The group's third meeting is planned to convene in France later,
probably with the participation of heads of state, if the "Friends of
Syria" group decides to do so at İstanbul meeting, the source added.
Ankara has not decided if it will participate in the upcoming meeting,
which will take place in France, he added.
Hurriyet Daily News
March 5 2012
Turkey
Turkey will host the second gathering of the "Friends of Syria"
group in Istanbul in March to discuss the current cituation in Syria,
with the participation of foreign ministers representing the group's
member countries. Turkish Foreign Ministry officials denied reports
that French President Nicolas Sarkozy was deliberately not invited
to the İstanbul meeting, pointing out that the gathering will take
place at the level of foreign ministers.
Turkey has not ruled out inviting French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe
to the meeting, despite the political strain between two countries
due to the French administration's attempt to criminalize the act of
denying the Armenian "genocide".
"We will still consider inviting Juppe. We won't rule it out, since
this will not be a bilateral meeting, but a multi-party gathering,"
diplomatic sources told Hurriyet Daily News.
The group's third meeting is planned to convene in France later,
probably with the participation of heads of state, if the "Friends of
Syria" group decides to do so at İstanbul meeting, the source added.
Ankara has not decided if it will participate in the upcoming meeting,
which will take place in France, he added.