TURKEY CONSIDERS REPAIRING TIES WITH PARIS GOVERNMENT
Hurriyet Daily News
May 11 2012
Turkey
Turkey has said it could consider lifting the eight-article
sanctions imposed on France, according to the stance the new French
administration takes on the 'Armenian genocide' issue.
Speaking of the French presidential candidates' election promises to
revive the country's "genocide denial" law, which was annulled by the
French Constitutional Court of France, Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Selcuk Unal told reporters at his weekly press conference yesterday:
"Of course we should look at those statements and monitor further
phases. We have to wait for France to form a new government." "The
steps the French government takes will be the arbiter in our plans,"
Unal added. "The situation our bilateral relations are in today
does not suit the strong history of French-Turkish ties," Unal said,
referring to the over 500-year history of diplomatic relations between
the two.
If France acts in what the Turkish government considers as an
appropriate manner, Turkey is ready both to strengthen bilateral ties
and to work closely with France on international issues affecting
Europe's future, Unal said, adding that Ankara also expects that the
new French administration will open the five chapters of Turkey's EU
membership negotiations that have been frozen by France.
Unal also said that Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is due to pay
visits to Estonia today and Moldova tomorrow.
Hurriyet Daily News
May 11 2012
Turkey
Turkey has said it could consider lifting the eight-article
sanctions imposed on France, according to the stance the new French
administration takes on the 'Armenian genocide' issue.
Speaking of the French presidential candidates' election promises to
revive the country's "genocide denial" law, which was annulled by the
French Constitutional Court of France, Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Selcuk Unal told reporters at his weekly press conference yesterday:
"Of course we should look at those statements and monitor further
phases. We have to wait for France to form a new government." "The
steps the French government takes will be the arbiter in our plans,"
Unal added. "The situation our bilateral relations are in today
does not suit the strong history of French-Turkish ties," Unal said,
referring to the over 500-year history of diplomatic relations between
the two.
If France acts in what the Turkish government considers as an
appropriate manner, Turkey is ready both to strengthen bilateral ties
and to work closely with France on international issues affecting
Europe's future, Unal said, adding that Ankara also expects that the
new French administration will open the five chapters of Turkey's EU
membership negotiations that have been frozen by France.
Unal also said that Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is due to pay
visits to Estonia today and Moldova tomorrow.