FRANCE DOWNPLAYS TURKISH SUSPENSION OF MILITARY TIES
By Jenny Barchfield, Associated Press Writer

The Associated Press
November 16, 2006 Thursday 5:34 PM GMT

France’s Defense Ministry said Thursday there was no immediate impact
from Turkey’s announced suspension of military ties in a dispute over
the mass killing of Armenians in the early 20th century.

Turkey’s land forces commander, Gen. Ilker Basbug, announced the
cut Wednesday amid a debate over whether 1915 killings of Armenians
constitutes genocide. France’s lower house of parliament has passed
a bill outlawing denials that genocide occurred, angering Turkey.

Defense Ministry spokesman Jean-Francois Bureau noted that the
suspension came from a military commander, not from Turkey’s civilian
government, and that French authorities had not received official word
from Turkey on delays or cancelations in joint military operations.

France believes that existing cooperation with Turkey will continue.

Specifically, Bureau mentioned operations in the Balkans and in
Afghanistan.

"There is a relationship of work and cooperation in these operational
commitments with Turkey that are extremely important and which,
in our eyes, will continue," he said.

Bureau said Turkey could retract permission for French military
ships to dock in its waters and make it more difficult for France to
obtain permission to fly through Turkish airspace, but that had not
yet happened.

"Until now, the announcement has not had any practical and concrete
effects," he said, although he added that they could come in the
future.

He described military cooperation between both countries, which include
joint exercises and training as well as peacekeeping operations, as
"constant" and "continuous."

Turkey is scheduled to take over command of a NATO peacekeeping
operation in Kabul, Afghanistan, from France in April 2007, Bureau
said. He added that any Turkish decision to pull out of its engagements
in Afghanistan would hurt NATO more than France.

Turkey vehemently denies it committed genocide against Armenians,
although many nations have classified the killings as such and say
some 1.5 million Armenians were killed.

Turkey acknowledges that large numbers of Armenians died in mass
expulsions and fighting, but says the number is exaggerated and
that most were killed in interethnic battles as the Ottoman Empire
collapsed.

In France, which has a large Armenian community, the lower house
of parliament infuriated Turkey in October by approving a bill that
would make it a crime to deny that Turks committed genocide against
Armenians. But the bill is not expected to become law because President
Jacques Chirac does not approve of it.

The Armenian issue is one of the most divisive and emotional in
Turkey. Those who classify the killings as genocide are often accused
of treason.

The European Union has criticized the French bill, saying it does
not respect the principle of free expression and does not promote
dialogue with Turkey, a hopeful EU candidate.

French Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei highlighted
the extent of cooperation between the two counties, saying their
armed forces work together "very closely in several theaters."

"In Afghanistan, our troops, like those from Turkey and Italy, are
stationed at the same base in Kabul," said Mattei.

"Our troops are also engaged side by side in Lebanon, Bosnia, Kosovo
and in Congo," he said, "so there is close cooperation and great
mutual respect between the French and Turkish armed forces."