French Radio – Fransa’nın Soykırım Kararı Hakkında (İng.)

FRENCH RADIO (ENGLISH SERVICES) – 15 NOVEMBER 2006

There is a very strong reaction no body understood because the decision of the French Parliament, which is the first in Europe unique in Europe so far, would prohibit the expression of ideas against, the so-called genocide. So the French Parliament threatens those who think differently from French Parliament to put in jail and pay a fine. Therefore, there was a very strong reaction in Turkey. We believe that this French attitude is totally against international law, French Constitution, European Convention of Human Rights, and it destroyed practically the Turkish-French friendship. Therefore a great majority of the people reacted very strongly; as you said, some private institutions, some companies, some civil societies decided to boycott French products. We heard that some Turkish companies cancelled their import projects from French companies.

You know the person is stronger than the government. We can understand the government uses moderate language, but in fact it was the Turkish government who banded for instance the import of French defense industry product when the French Parliament decided on the so-called genocide in 2001. So we will see what will be the reaction of the Turkish government. But we believe that there will be a strong pressure on the government to cancel a number of projects with French or not to allow French companies to participate to major projects. So we will see the reaction of the government.  But as I said the government cannot resist to massive popular reaction. So the impact of the people’s reaction on Turkish-French economy will be stronger than the possible measures to be taken by the government.

We have big French companies in the retail market; we have French car production in Turkey, import of French cars like Citroen, Peugeot. So Turkey’s trade with France is around 10 billion dollars a year. Turkey is one of the major trade partners of France throughout the world. The French imports are quiet important. French government cannot overlook the possible reaction of the Turkish people. Imagine that the Turkish government prohibits importing airbus, aircrafts for France. Despite the difficulties of the airbus companies facing we have not cancelled our imports from airbus. Turkey is one of the biggest importers of airbus and the Prime Minister signed a contract last year of about 2.5 billion dollars with airbus, aircrafts. So we have a lot of common interest. Therefore in these perspectives we do not understand how deliberately French parliament decided to damage Turkish-French relations.

The French parliamentarians were discouraged by the Armenians to go and vote against this law. We spoke with many French Parliamentarians. They told us that they are against but they cannot move against the project because they are afraid of the pressure of the Armenian voters in their conspiracy.

Armenia is manipulating with their lobbies not only France but in other countries like Holland, United States, European Parliament all over they try to damage Turkey’s interest and reputation. Of course Turkey will retaliate against Armenia as well. They will not enjoy any privilege from Turkey after this moment. Because Turkish people is fully aware that after French reaction, there is an influence of the Armenian lobbies manipulated by the Armenian government.