ERDOGAN REFUSES TO VISIT FRANCE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
12.06.2009 19:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A series of events set to introduce Turkish
culture to France next month may be postponed, Erdogan says, but it
is not clear if he meant only to put off a trip to France. A Foreign
Ministry spokesperson says Davutoglu will go to France to attend one
or two activities.

Turkish Prime Minister said Thursday that the "Turkey Season" cultural
event in France could be postponed because of French President Nicolas
Sarkozy’s strong opposition to Ankara’s bid for full membership in
the EU.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said he might not travel to
France for the event.

"Sarkozy will regret what he has been doing sooner or later," Erdogan
told private channel NTV. "We had contacts with former French President
Jacques Chirac for a long time, but we have not seen such an approach
from him."

It was not clear whether Erdogan meant to postpone his trip to France
or call off the entire Turkey Season event.

President Abdullah Gul and Sarkozy were expected to launch the
event, which aims to introduce Turkish culture to France through 400
activities in 40 different French cities, on July 1. The "season"
is scheduled to continue through March of next year. Gul recently
said he would travel to France to kick off the events with the French
leader. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is also set to travel to
France to participate in one or two activities, his spokesman said
yesterday, Huttiyet Daily News reported.