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ANKARA: Restaurant Changes Its French Name

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  • ANKARA: Restaurant Changes Its French Name

    RESTAURANT CHANGES ITS FRENCH NAME
    by Gila Benmayor

    Hurriyet Daily News
    Dec 28 2011
    Turkey

    In the crisis between France and Turkey following the French
    Parliament Lower House decision to criminalize the denial of the
    Armenian genocide, the most prudent statement came from Economy
    Minister Zafer Caglayan. He said Turkey will not impose an embargo
    on France and will not restrict trade.

    The data from the Turkish-French Commerce Association visiting Paris
    just before the vote at the French Parliament with delegations from
    Turkish Industry & Business Association (TUSİAD) and Turkish Union
    of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) demonstrates how relevant
    Caglayan's words of "no embargo" were.

    As the letter the association sent to French President Nicolas Sarkozy
    and ministers stated, the trade volume between Turkey and France is
    currently 12 billion euros. Of this total, 6.5 billion euros comprise
    French exports to Turkey.

    Investments of more than 400 French companies operating in Turkey
    for years exceed $15 billion.

    As General Manager of Renault Mais İbrahim Aybar pointed out,
    the electric Fluence ZE, which the Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Melih
    Gökcek cancelled the purchase of after the crisis broke out, was
    the product of Turkish workers' labor. Fifty percent of the car is
    made up of locally produced parts.

    While the Ankara mayor is boycotting the electric Renault vehicle, he
    is punishing both the Turkish worker and the local car parts producer.

    He is punishing the Ankara residents who are yearning to breathe
    clean air and also an Ankara that would have a somewhat lower carbon
    dioxide count in its air with the use of electric cars.

    When the crisis broke, we had heard from top officials, primarily
    Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that the campaign against France
    was not going to target the French people but the Sarkozy government.

    However, it does not occur as such in practical terms. As we can
    see from what is happening, what the politicians say has a multiplied
    effect on the public. I can also see this in the emails I have received
    since the crisis broke out.

    I will refer to two examples: The call from Chef Mehmet Yalcınkaya
    saying, "Even though we chefs are influenced by the French food
    culture, we should boycott this country," received a positive reply
    from Turkish Federation of Cooks (TAFED). The federation has declared
    it will not be using French products.

    The second example is the "strange decision" made by the restaurant
    "Le Pecheur" (Fisherman), which has been operating in Istanbul's
    Tarabya district for 22 years.

    According to the message I received via email yesterday, the restaurant
    has decided to remove its French name.

    I don't know, I guess "Le Pecheur" will go and the Turkish for
    fisherman, "Balıkcı," will come instead.

    This kind of a "beyond any measure" reaction makes me feel unsettled.

    The French high school I graduated from has a scheduled 156th
    anniversary Jan. 20. Now the alumni association of the French
    high school is troubled on how it will make its printed ads of the
    anniversary.

    However, the Turkish-French Commerce Association reminds us of this
    fact: The motion which has passed the Lower House has to be approved
    in the Senate.

    Nobody should doubt that TOBB, TUSİAD and the Turkish-French Commerce
    Association will continue their lobbying activities to prevent a
    negative decision from the Senate.

    It is good to remain on the "cool" side.

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