AZG Armenian Daily #196, 14/10/2006

Turkey

ANTI-FRENCH HYSTERIA IN HEYDAY IN TURKEY

Turkish Leaders `Shame’ France

As it was anticipated, the adoption by the French parliament of the
bill penalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide has spurred major
hysteria.

Responding to this event, Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
named the French politicians "narrow-minded" for legalizing "the
Armenian genocide lie" and said that it is shameful in terms of
"freedom of thought" and is at the same time a blemish for
France. This country, he said, is destined to live with shame.

Erdogan labeled passage of the bill a "gross historic mistake" and
added: "History will surely condemn them who neglect rational
manifestations of opposition. We will not accept such unfairness,
neither will tolerate it."

Byulent Arenc, speaker of the Turkish parliament, called the French
National Assembly’s decision "shameful" and manifestation of "hostile
attitude towards the Turkish people." Foreign minister Abdullah Gul
joined him. "With this decision of the its parliament France showed
that it is a country that pursuits minor goals. To reach these goals
it has trampled on its historic authority. Let no one think that
Turkey will stomach all these. We have elaborated countermeasures for
all spheres that will be gradually used. This issue is national in
essence. Hopefully, France will get out of this deadlock," Milliet
quoted Gul as saying.

Though Gul did not mention of these spheres, Milliet found out from
Foreign Ministry’s sources that Turkey is going to lower to the
minimum cooperation with France in military, politics, healthcare,
education, culture and trade. Meanwhile it is supposed that France
will be alienated from all key international tenders in Turkey.

Denis Bayqal, leader of the Popular Republican party, said on occasion
of the bill’s adoption that it is impossible to take history captive
by a bill and that France has signed beneath historic shame.

By Hakob Chakrian