TURKISH SPEAKER MEETS ALGERIAN PREMIER, CRITICIZES FRANCE
Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Nov 8 2006
Algiers, 8 November: Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc met
Algerian Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem at Algerian Prime Ministry
Palace on Wednesday [8 November].
Belkhadem told reporters that Turkey, as it happened in Ottoman
period, should pursue an active and sound policy, adding that the
region needs Turkey.
Noting that Algeria does not think Turkey needs EU, Belkhadem said
that Turkey, alone, is a strong country, adding that the EU is not
sincere regarding Turkey’s membership.
Criticizing policy of France regarding so-called Armenian genocide,
Belkhadem said that Algeria, for long years, has been waiting for
France to accept that it committed massacres and made mistakes
in Algeria.
On the other hand, Arinc said, "it is a big contradiction for France
to make statements about so-called Armenian genocide. I saw one more
time in Algeria that France’s statements about freedom, justice and
equality are hollow."
He added that France is applying double standards.