TURKS IN FRANCE SELF-CRITICAL OVER ARMENIAN BILL
Zaman, Turkey
Oct 24 2006
Turkish businessmen in France have admitted their failure in handling
the situation with the French parliament’s controversial Armenian
genocide bill.
Murat Ercan, chairman of the Union des Entrepreneurs Franco-Turcs,
a group for Turkish entrepreneurs in France, said that Turkish
businessmen were not concerned with the Armenian bill passed in the
French parliament.
Even the reactions against the law proposal remained weak and
ineffectual, said Ercan, who focused attention on the need for the
formation of a lobby.
Forming a lobby would require organization, said Ercan. "The French
news media did not even ask Turks living here in France to express
their opinions. We have to have full awareness of our position."
There was a lack of coordinated action among Turkish people living
in France against the Armenian bill, said Ercan.
"The parliamentary approval of the Armenian bill came as a blow to
the reputation of Turkish people in France. Even the Turkish reaction
against the law proposal was very weak," said Ercan.
Ercan blamed inexperience and a lack of knowledge on the part of some
Turkish companies, who in turn perhaps harmed all.