Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ISTANBUL: 'Hollande spring' not bearing fruit

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • ISTANBUL: 'Hollande spring' not bearing fruit

    Today's Zaman, Turkey
    Nov 2 2014


    `Hollande spring' not bearing fruit

    November 02, 2014, Sunday/ 17:38:00/ EMRE DEMÄ°R / ANKARA


    President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an's much-anticipated visit to Paris on
    Friday failed to produce any tangible results as President François
    Hollande did not move to open any of the four European Union
    negotiation chapters currently blocked by France.

    President Hollande's rise to power brought about a promise of a
    `spring period' in relations between the two countries, after
    relations hit rock bottom during the tenure of the previous president,
    Nicolas Sarkozy. However, after Hollande's Ankara visit in January and
    ErdoÄ?an's recent visit to Paris there has not been any real progress.
    France continues to block four of Turkey's remaining EU negotiation
    chapters. Turkey, on the other hand, continues to allow France a share
    of its energy and defense contracts.

    Turkish diplomats in Paris continue to reiterate that relations `have
    never been better.' As for the French, they indicate that they `aren't
    ready to accept the [Bashar al-] Assad regime as a secondary problem'
    and that France fosters a partnership with Turkey regarding the Middle
    East. Events in Syria and other bilateral developments have brought
    Turkey and France closer together. The most obvious result in the
    convergence between the two countries regarding the war in Syria would
    be that France is the only Western ally to adopt the `buffer zone'
    option.

    But despite the importance attached to the meeting on the part of the
    Turkish side, the visit to France has failed to yield any meaningful
    result. Before the meeting, Paris was hopeful for a statement
    indicating Turkey's missile defense system contract would go to French
    firms, while Turkey was hopeful for France unblocking four EU
    negotiation chapters. Hence, after unsuccessful negotiations,
    President ErdoÄ?an's statement to Hollande at the press conference
    stood out, saying: `We are waiting for a gesture from you regarding
    this issue. We want to return to Turkey with good news.' President
    ErdoÄ?an's tactic, normally used to draw promises out of building
    contractors at grand openings for future projects, was not enough to
    entice the French president.

    President Hollande refrained from talking about the four chapters
    blocked by France while mentioning Chapter 23 regarding the judiciary
    and fundamental rights and Chapter 24 regarding justice, freedom and
    security, which is blocked by Cyprus.

    Hollande therefore both gave the message that the chapters blocked
    during his predecessor Sarkozy would not be opened, while indirectly
    criticizing Turkey's decline in judicial independence and fundamental
    rights.


    Hollande looks for investment in Turkey


    Hollande's policy of close ties with Turkey is part of the economic
    diplomacy doctrine to advance the investments of French firms. Instead
    of an EU candidate country such as Turkey, Hollande prefers to regard
    countries such as Qatar, China and Russia as economic partners. After
    the Sinop nuclear power plant contract, French firms are interested in
    energy contracts such as the TANAP gas pipeline. A $4 billion missile
    contact previously given to China is now being negotiated to be given
    to France.

    The second reason France is warming up relations with Turkey is its
    desire to be more effective in the Middle Eastern equation. By
    engaging in seemingly riskless strategies such as the buffer zone
    proposed by ErdoÄ?an, the French leader wants to obtain a new card
    through his influence over Turkey.

    The alliance with the French, especially during a period when ties
    with America and Germany are tense, is very important for ErdoÄ?an.
    Hollande, however, is keeping relations with Turkey behind the curtain
    due to fears of criticism from the French public.

    Next year is the centenary of the alleged Armenian genocide in 1915.
    President Hollande promised to pass laws punishing those who deny the
    genocide. How these concepts will affect Turkish-French relations
    remains to be seen.


    http://www.todayszaman.com/_hollande-spring-not-bearing-fruit_363329.html

Working...
X