Turkey plans retaliatory measures against France
ANKARA • Turkey studying Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday Turkey was studying retaliatory measures against France following approval of a law making it a crime to deny Armenians suffered genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks.
"Turkey's foreign trade volume with France is $10bn and this is equal to 1.5 per cent of France's whole foreign trade volume. We're going to make the proper calculations and then take necessary steps," Erdogan said in a speech. He did not elaborate, but said the centre-right government would take measures within Turkey and abroad. But the ruling AK Party, facing a rise in nationalism ahead of next year's parliamentary elections, must tread a careful line not to damage its success at bringing political and econmic stability to the Muslim country seeking EU membership.
France's lower house of parliament voted for the bill on Thursday, despite warnings from French firms that it would create repercussions for their business in Turkey, a fast-growing market which imported 4.7 billion euros' worth of French goods in 2005.
Turkey’s military said yesterday Armenian soldiers fired into its territory two days ago amid an escalation in tensions after France’s passage of a bill. The powerful General Staff called on the Foreign Ministry to investigate the incident on the border on October 11, which it said caused no injuries or material damage.
“Turkish soldiers came under harassing fire from Armenian territories on the Turkey-Armenia border on October 11, 2006,” the Turkish General Staff said in a statement.
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Meanwhile, Turkish newspapers blasted France saying it has blackened its name as a country of freedom by voting a controversial bill on Thursday.
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