FRANCE HAS NO CONFIRMATION OF MILITARY RIFT WITH TURKEY – OFFICIAL

Kuwait News Agency, Kuwait
Nov 16 2006

France has no confirmation of military rift with Turkey – official

PARIS, Nov 16 (KUNA) — France has not received any official
confirmation that Turkey intends to halt military cooperation with
the French army because of ongoing tensions due to France’s position
on the alleged Armenian genocide in 1915.

Several years ago, the French parliament officially recognized the
Armenian genocide which is said to have claimed around one million
lives.

Turkey disputes the Armenian version and the figures put forward
by Armenia.

The situation further deteriorated when the French Parliament last
month made it a crime to call into question or dispute the Armenian
genocide, a similar move to that made by the Parliament on the Jewish
holocaust several years ago.

The latest French move incensed Turkish authorities and resulted in
the reports from the Military High Command in Ankara that cooperation
with France will be halted.

"To my knowledge, we have not received any official communication on
this subject from Turkish authorities," Foreign Ministry spokesman
Jean-Baptiste Mattei said.

"Concerning our relations with Turkey in military matters, our armed
forces cooperate closely in several operational theatres (and) in
the framework of multinational operations," the French official noted.

He cited, in particular, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Bosnia, Kosovo and
the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"There is, thus, a close cooperation and a great mutual respect
between the French and Turkish armed forces," he indicated.

There have been calls in Turkey for boycotts of French goods and other
retaliatory measures in addition to ending cooperation in a number of
areas because of the French Parliaments move on the Armenian genocide
issue.

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