HOVHANNISIAN SAYS SARKOZY’S OPINION REPRESENTS THAT OF FRENCH SOCIETY

Yerkir/am
October 13, 2006

The Turkish blackmailing is quite efficient for European countries,
even for such a strong country as France, said National Assembly Vice
speaker and ARF Bureau member Vahan Hovhannisian on Tuesday when
asked by the Yerkir reporter to comment on Turkish reaction to the
known bill.

Turkey is seeking to carry out the same policies it used in the 19th
century and the beginning of the 20th – to emphasize that it (Turkey)
is more important for Europe than Armenians are, Hovhannisian went
on saying.

"In a sense they are right, as Turkey is a large market, it controls
roads and leverage," Hovhannisian continued. "Some even say Turkey
is a secular Muslim state and could be an example for changing
fundamentalist Muslim regimes, but Turkey represents more threat to
Europe than Armenia, Georgia, Croatia or Bulgaria.

He also said that if Turkey becomes a full-fledged player on the
European scene, will completely distort the basics the European Union
stands on, and this is why some European countries, including the
Netherlands and France, voted against a European constitution that
would ease Turkey’s entry into the EU.

Sarkozy’s preconditions, thus, are symbolic, Hovhannisian said,
and taking into account Sarkozy’s influence over the French society,
it indicates that his opinion represents that of the French society.
From: Baghdasarian