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  • France Downplays Dispute With Turkey

    FRANCE DOWNPLAYS DISPUTE WITH TURKEY
    By Jenny Barchfield Associated Press Writer

    CBS News, NY
    Nov 16 2006

    France downplays Turkish suspension of military ties in riff over
    mass killing of Armenians

    (AP) France's Defense Ministry said Thursday there was no immediate
    impact from Turkey's announced suspension of military ties in a
    dispute over the mass killing of Armenians in the early 20th century.

    Turkey's land forces commander, Gen. Ilker Basbug, announced the
    cut Wednesday amid a debate over whether 1915 killings of Armenians
    constitutes genocide. France's lower house of parliament has passed
    a bill outlawing denials that genocide occurred, angering Turkey.

    Defense Ministry spokesman Jean-Francois Bureau noted that the
    suspension came from a military commander, not from Turkey's civilian
    government, and that French authorities had not received official word
    from Turkey on delays or cancelations in joint military operations.

    France believes that existing cooperation with Turkey will continue.

    Specifically, Bureau mentioned operations in the Balkans and in
    Afghanistan.

    "There is a relationship of work and cooperation in these operational
    commitments with Turkey that are extremely important and which,
    in our eyes, will continue," he said.

    Bureau said Turkey could retract permission for French military
    ships to dock in its waters and make it more difficult for France to
    obtain permission to fly through Turkish airspace, but that had not
    yet happened.

    "Until now, the announcement has not had any practical and concrete
    effects," he said, although he added that they could come in the
    future.

    He described military cooperation between both countries, which include
    joint exercises and training as well as peacekeeping operations, as
    "constant" and "continuous."

    Turkey is scheduled to take over command of a NATO peacekeeping
    operation in Kabul, Afghanistan, from France in April 2007, Bureau
    said. He added that any Turkish decision to pull out of its engagements
    in Afghanistan would hurt NATO more than France.

    Turkey vehemently denies it committed genocide against Armenians,
    although many nations have classified the killings as such and say
    some 1.5 million Armenians were killed.

    Turkey acknowledges that large numbers of Armenians died in mass
    expulsions and fighting, but says the number is exaggerated and
    that most were killed in interethnic battles as the Ottoman Empire
    collapsed.

    In France, which has a large Armenian community, the lower house
    of parliament infuriated Turkey in October by approving a bill that
    would make it a crime to deny that Turks committed genocide against
    Armenians. But the bill is not expected to become law because President
    Jacques Chirac does not approve of it.

    The Armenian issue is one of the most divisive and emotional in
    Turkey. Those who classify the killings as genocide are often accused
    of treason.

    The European Union has criticized the French bill, saying it does
    not respect the principle of free expression and does not promote
    dialogue with Turkey, a hopeful EU candidate.

    French Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei highlighted
    the extent of cooperation between the two counties, saying their
    armed forces work together "very closely in several theaters."

    "In Afghanistan, our troops, like those from Turkey and Italy, are
    stationed at the same base in Kabul," said Mattei.

    "Our troops are also engaged side by side in Lebanon, Bosnia, Kosovo
    and in Congo," he said, "so there is close cooperation and great
    mutual respect between the French and Turkish armed forces."

    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006 /11/16/ap/world/mainD8LEA3F80.shtml
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