FM GUL: FRENCH DECISION DEALT SERIOUS BLOW TO TURKEY-FRANCE RELATIONS
Hurriyet, Turkey
Oct 16 2006
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has commented on the recent French
Parliament decision to approve a bill calling for jail time and
monetary fines for people publicly denying the so-called Armenian
genocide, saying "Unfortunately, French-Turkish relations have been
dealt a serious blow."
Gul, who was on his way yesterday to attend Turkey-EU meetings
in Luxembourg, told reporters that France had "been shamed" by
the international community and the EU following its parliamentary
decision. Said Gul, "France’s credibility has been really damaged. I
hope that French politicians and government members would be aware of
this, and will take precautions to ensure that its credibility will
not be rocked anymore." Taking note of the broader implications for
Turkey’s EU quest, Gul said that "With France’s stance, the Copenhagen
criteria have changed. I am going to speak to my counterparts about
this."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
