Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Baszn (jzeti
Rage deepens against France
• Despite government's cautious remarks on a possible boycott of French goods, civilian initiatives
have already started against everything which is French -
Ankara - Turkish Daily News
-.
While the government is weighing sanctions against France in response to French 'lawmakers'
characterization of the Ottoman Empire killing of Armenians as "genocide," the private sector has
already started a campaign against French goods similar to the one that was staged against Italy 2 years
ago when Rome refused to extradite outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party leader Abdullah Ocalan to
Turkey.
Turks in the U.S. have been preparing to, boycott American goods as well. American Turks and Turkish
citizens in the U.S. have proposed a list of French goods and services that could be boycotted. Some of the
proposals are not using French oil companies Elf and Total for buYing gas, boycotting tours to France
during Bayram days, boycotting Air France when frying to Europe etc.
The Parliament has been discussing what sort of an action the lawmakers can take against France. The
deputy chairman of Virtue Party (FP) Veysel Candan has proposed to condemn France in the Parliament
on its massacres in Algeria and in the Southeast of Turkey during the Independence War. Stressing that
300.000 Turkish citizens have been living in France, Candan accused the government for not doing
enough for using the power of Turks in Europe.
While the civilian initiatives targeting against French goods have already started, Prime Minister Bulent
Ecevit has stressed that Turkey would impose no sanctions that might also harm its own economic
interests. 'We will of course prepare a plan that won't hurt us," he told reporters. The lower house of
France's National Assembly unanimously approved a declaration Thursday stating that "France publicly
recognizes the Armenian genocide of 1915." The decision outraged Turkey, which immediately recalled
its ambassador to France. Armenians claim 1.5 million of their people died in an Ottoman Empire
campaign to force them from eastern Turkey between 1915 and 1923. Turke:y say~ that death c~~t is
inflated, and that Armenians were killed or displaced as the Ottoman EmpIre tried to quell CIvil unrest.
Modern-day Turkey was founded in 1923. In the wake of French lawmakers' declaration, Turkish trade
groups called for a boycott of all French goods. Turks protested outside French diplomatic missions in
Ankara and Istanbul. On Saturday, Turkish civil servants in Istanbul publicly burned a French flag, and
50 protesters gathered outside the French consulate to read out a demand for tough sanctio~. 'We will,
of course, prepare a plan that won't hurt us," Ecevit said. 'The results of our study on what kind of
sanctions Turkey can impose on France, without causing itself any economic harm, will emerge in a few
days." Newspaper reports said Turkey was considering excluding French companies fro.m bidd.ID~ for
state contracts, including millions of dollars in defense work. On Friday, the powerful u:tdustrialist
association TUSIAD warned that an economic boycott would harm both Turkey and France. The U.S.
House of Representatives held off a similar resolution that would have termed the ~eni~ killings a
"genocide" last year, after President Bill Clinton warned it could seriously damage relations WIth Turkey.
Kurdish Media - 22 Jan 2001
55 Years after Kurdish Republic
ERBIL, Kurdistan (KM) - The 55th anniversary of establishment of Kurdistan Republic in Mahabad was celebrated
by Kurds.
22 Jan marked the 55th anniversary of the establishment of Kurdish Republic in Mahabad. The event was marked
by events and reports on Kurdish media.
VOA interviewed Abdul-qader Dabaghi a member of J.K committee about the events surronding the event in 1946.
KTV broadcasted from Erbil (the capital of Kurdistan) also broadcasted a 5 minute report in its daily news. The
program included interviewes with Kurds who have joined Mulla Mustafa Barezani in 1946 to help establish and
defend the republic. 55 after the republic, its memory is still an example for Kurds for independence.
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