ELEKDAG: TURKEY SHOULD DECREASE DIRECT FLIGHTS FROM ARMENIA
Mucahit Taskiran (JTW)
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Oct 11 2006
ANKARA – Yasar Yakis, former foreign minister and MP from right-wing
AK Party, argued that Turkey should expel 70,000 illegal Armenian
workers in Turkey in apparent retaliation for the probable adoption
by the French National Assembly. However many Turks oppose this idea.
Sukru Elekdag, former diplomat and MP from left-wing cHP party, also
a former senior diplomat and deputy of the main opposition Republican
People’s Party (CHP), at a press conference at Parliament on Monday,
said that France has been exploiting Turkey’s EU membership process
and was trying to get Turkey to eventually cave in.
Over 70,000 Armenian citizens have been illegally working in Turkey
but have been tolerated, Elekdað said. However, Turkey should now
implement the related laws and gradually send these illegal workers
back, he added.
In addition to this measure, Turkey should also decrease the number
of flights between Istanbul and Yerevan, which is seven flights per
week at the moment, Elekdað also added.
The idea was originally voiced by former Foreign Minister Yaþar Yakis,
head of Parliament’s European Union Harmonization Commission, during
a meeting in the northwestern province of Duzce province in a show of
reaction against the French bill penalizing any denial of the claimed
genocide of Armenians.
"Seventy-thousand illegal Armenian workers in Turkey should be sent
back to Armenia in response to the bill", Yakis offered.
"You may say that the mistake was made by France, but the ones
punished are Armenian. However, Armenia should as well be aware of its
responsibilities," he was quoted as saying by the Dogan News Agency.
However some of the Turkish parliamenterians say that "if they are
illegal, they should expel immediately without making any connection
with the French draft".
Yakis based his argument on the fact that the Armenian lobby in France
played a key role in bringing the controversial bill to the agenda
of the French National Assembly.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ozcan, Turkish EU expert, however argues
that "Turkey should not expel anyone as a measure against France’s
Armenian attempts: "France makes mistakes. Turkey should not do the
similar mistakes. Armenians came here, because they are not happy in
Armenia. They found jobs and stable life here. We should not disturb
these people. They continue to make contribution to Turkey’s and
Armenia’s economies" Prof. Ozcan added.
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