NTV MSNBC, Turkey
Oct 13 2006
Turkey considering retaliatory measures against France: PM
Erdogan did no specify any steps Turkey might take against France.
Güncelleme: 16:34 TSÝ 13 Ekim 2006 CumaANKARA – Turkey was looking
into measures to retaliate against the French parliament’s decision
to approve legislation making it a criminal offence to deny the
alleged massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during the First
World War.
Highlighting the fact that Turkey and France had trade worth $10
billion, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that, `We
are going to make proper calculations and then take necessary steps.’
It has been suggested that Turkey will freeze French companies out of
bidding on state tenders worth billions of dollars and various
Turkish groups have called for a boycott of French products.
Under the new law, which still has to be passed by the French Senate
and ratified by the President Jacques Chirac, persons convicted of
denying that the so-called Armenian genocide took place face fines of
45,000 euros and up to one year in prison.