FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL SAYS TURKS ‘ARE VERY CLOSE’ TO HIM

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 28, 2011

PanARMENIAN.Net – The youngest contender for the French presidency
in 2012 has said he is already well-acquainted with Turkey thanks to
family roots that go back to eastern Turkey.

Maxime Verner’s mother has Armenian roots in the eastern province of
Erzurum, while the 21-year-old candidate’s father is ethnic French.

“I know Turkey very well; I am interested [in Turkish] history also. I
feel [that the] Turks are very close to me. They are open-minded. I
want to build a bridge between Turkey and other countries. I would
like to tell them that the world of tomorrow is ours. We have
responsibilities to conquer and obtain solidarity,” Verner said in
an interview with Hurriyet Daily News.

“I am not expecting any support [from] the French-Armenian community; I
am French. But lots of Armenians and Turks do support me,” Verner said.

The presidential candidate also said he attended Istanbul’s Galatasaray
University as an exchange student recently.

Verner, whose father was a taxi driver, said his interest in politics
began while he was working in his father’s cab in the village where
he was born. “Today, I do not belong to any party; my family has
never belonged to any [parties either.] I became popular [through
the support of] the working class,” he said.

“I want to change the future, the young generations, the long-term
perspectives, the world. I want to help France open itself to the
world. I would like to free society where anything is possible for
anyone. I believe emotions can change the world,” he said and added
that he made extensive use of modern technology during election
campaigns.

Verner also said he was a member of the “Association des Jeunes de
France” (The Association for the French Youth) and said the youth
wanted to earn the trust of the French people.

“We want to elucidate [people on] how great the potential of young
people is and what we can do,” he said.