FRANCE AND TURKEY NEGOTIATE FLYING RIGHTS
Barcýn Yinanc
Turkish Daily News, Turkey
March 28 2007
Turkey has cancelled the bloc authorization over flying rights it
gave to France after the French National Assembly endorsed a law
criminalizing denial of Armenians claims of genocide, diplomatic
sources told the Turkish Daily News. Until last December France
used to get a yearlong bloc authorization for its military aircraft
flying over Turkish territory. However, following the decision of
the French National Assembly last October, Turkey did not extend the
authorization for the year 2007. The decision is part of the Turkish
military’s policy on suspending relations in the military field.
The Turkish army was one of the institutions showing the strongest
reaction to France. Relations with France in the military field were
suspended immediately after the decision on October 2006 and French
firms were blacklisted. Both France and Turkey are members of the
NATO military alliance and Turkey is a market for French made weapons.
French military aircraft use Turkish airspace, especially for its
contribution in the NATO operation in Afghanistan. Approximately 700
French soldiers are deployed in Kabul where the French military shares
the rotating command of the multinational forces with Turkish military.
Hence, French military aircraft flying to Afghanistan over Turkish
airspace are affected most by the decision on not extending the bloc
authorization. "The decision makes the French military’s life more
difficult," said a diplomatic source familiar with the issue. With
the bloc authorization, it suffices for the aircraft to notify
its intention of using the airspace; without it, the aircraft
has to wait for the permission of the Turkish side to use the
airspace. "This obviously makes the French military quiet nervous;
since they prefer to plan everything in advance," said an official,
emphasizing that the authorization to use the airspace comes at
the last minute and that this procedure creates complications,
especially during emergencies. However, with one or two exceptions,
the necessary authorization was given on each request. Diplomatic
sources told the TDN that talks are underway to solve the problem;
with Paris apparently making the point that a NATO operation is being
harmed by Turkey’s stance.
–Boundary_(ID_rtTGXJi3G4RKIscTI+2apQ)–