Zaman Online, Turkey
Oct 13 2006

Turkish Businessmen Boycott French Companies
By Isa Sezen, Istanbul
Friday, October 13, 2006
zaman.com

The passing of the controversial Armenian genocide denial bill in the
French parliament has prompted strong reactions in Turkish business
circles.

Several businessmen announced they would suspend business
partnerships with French companies.

However, no reaction came from Turkey’s Army Pension Fund (OYAK),
which is a partner with French giants in the steel, automotive and
insurance industries.

Associations Also Call for Boycott

Omer Bolat, chairman of the Independent Industrialists and
Businessmen’s Association (MUSIAD), said the law penalizing the
denial of the alleged Armenian genocide passed by the French
parliament aimed at obstructing Turkey’s accession to the European
Union and called for the commercial boycott against France to be a
long-term and collective one.

MUSIAD called its members to stop commercial relationships with
French companies.

Erhan Ozmen, the chairman of Turkish Young Businessmen Confederation,
thinks the passing of the law will have permanent effects on the
relationship between the two countries.

However, Ozmen said boycotts and embargos would damage Turkey as much
as France, and added that the $5 million French capital in Turkey
should not be forgotten.

The Economic Development Foundation also thinks France will correct
its `mistake.’

Milsoft, a leading software company in Turkey’s defense industry,
decided not to join the Euronaval 2006, an international fair on
defense, to be held in Paris in the upcoming weeks.

Two Turkish companies applied for participation in Euronaval, one of
the world’s leading naval armament fairs.

However, Yonca-Onuk, a comopany well-known for its Kaan-class
fast-patrol boats, is joining the fair.

`We must show a joint reaction against this unlucky and biased
decision. Therefore, we decided not to join the fair,’ Milsoft
Marketing Director Cem Koc said.

Yonca-Onuk’s boss Ekber Onuk does not agree with Koc.

`We have been taking part in this fair for the last four or five
years. There will be a gap unless we join it this year. This gap in
the defense industry will negatively affect our company and our
country. We should be there for the Turkish defense industry,’ Onuk
said.

Currently in Brussels, Turkish State Minister Ali Babacan said, `As
Turkey supports freedom of thought and expression, France’s decision
to restrict the freedom of thought is contrary to the European
Union’s basic values.’

Babacan added that the decision made by the French parliament did not
represent the majority of France. `We will continue with the reform
process in the same way. We will take steps to set a good example for
our own people, for the rest of the EU member countries and for
neighboring states.’

As OYAK keeps silent on the law penalizing the denial of the alleged
Armenian genocide, several Turkish businessmen are withdrawing their
orders from France.

Agaoglu Insaat, a leading company in the construction industry,
cancelled its agreement with the French company Carrefour to open a
supermarket in its MyCountry project in Cekmekoy Istanbul.

Businessman Turgay Ciner, owner of Sabah Daily and channel ATV,
suspended the order of an airplane from France as a reaction against
the genocide bill.

Clup Irem Tour owner Saadettin Ulubay suspended a helicopter order
from a French company.

Ulubay said they had concerns about the cancellation of reservation
in tours to France during the Ramadan holiday.

Some French companies operating in Turkey include Total, Elf,
Carrefour, Danone, Tefal, Michelin, Renault, Peugeot, Citroen,
Lacoste, L’Oreal, Lancome, Christian Dior, Avon, Onduline, Lafarge,
Chryso, Air France, BIC, Cartier, Sheaffer, Le coq sportif, Alcatel,
AXA, Gunes Insurance, Basak Insurance, Basak Emeklilik Societe
General Bank, Turkish Economy Bank, Sanofi and Servier.

TUSIAD: Let us Reply with Reforms

TUSIAD called the French bill `a big mistake.’

`A proper reply to be given to France would be to accelerate
political reforms to include freedom of expression particularly and
proceed toward our goal of full [EU] membership as a country holding
memberships talks with the European Union,’ the association stated.

TOBB: They won’t be Invited for Bids

Rifat Hisarciklioglu, chairman for the Turkish Union of Chambers and
Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), said public administrations in Turkey
would not invite French companies to bids after the passing of the
bill.

`The French National Parliament made a mistake. Responsibility for
this process falls on it,’ Hisarciklioglu said. The TOBB chairman
thinks France failed in the test of law and conscience and described
the developments as a black page in its history.