TURKEY "THREATENS" FRANCE

Public Radio, Armenia
Oct 7 2006

Spokesman of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Namik Tan
told the journalists that in case the French Parliament adopts draft
criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide, Ankara "will hardly
be able to control" the counteraction of the Turkish society.

According to the Turkish "Zaman," Namik Tan confessed that Ankara is
seriously concerned with the inclusion of the draft law in the agenda.

Noting that in the past the Armenian question was also poisoning
French-Turkish relations. Tan said that the current bill will become
a serious blow to the relations between the two countries and the
success achieved in the past. Tan said that with adoption of the bill,
"France will abolish the freedom of speech."

Namik Tan expressed the hope that France will be reasonable enough
not to adopt the bill jeopardizing Turkish-French relations.

The Spokesman said also that the leadership of his country is making
every effort to prevent adoption of the bill. "October 4 President
Ahmed Sezer sent a letter to Jacques Chirac, Prime Minister Rejeb
Tayyib Erdogan will have a meeting with French businessmen in Istanbul,
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul had a telephone conversation with the
Foreign Minister of France," said Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Turkey.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress