ANKARA (Reuters)–Turkey has agreed to restore all ties with France, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Thursday, following a breakdown in relations last year prompted by a passage of a bill by France’s both houses of parliament criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide.
Ankara cancelled all economic, political and military meetings with Paris in December after France’s lower house of parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of a draft law to make it illegal to deny that the killings amounted to genocide.
France’s highest court overturned the law two months later but the Turkish measures taken against France, which included restrictions on French military aircraft and ships landing or docking on its territory, have remained in place.
Speaking live on Turkish television, Davutoglu said Turkey’s Prime Minister Recept Tayyip Erdogan had ordered the sanctions be lifted after a positive meeting with France’s new President Francois Hollande at a world summit in Brazil.
“The prime minister gave the necessary instructions after meeting with Hollande. Because of this new attitude from France, these sanctions will be dropped,” Davutoglu said during an interview with news broadcaster CNN Turk.
Davutoglu said he would travel to Paris on July 5 for bilateral meetings where they would discuss taking additional “positive steps” in the future.
Relations between the countries became strained under former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his election defeat earlier this year was viewed in Ankara as a chance to start a new phase.
Sarkozy had also been one of the most vocal opponents of Turkish European Union membership.
Not a surprise, Turkey is used to leak S of the powerful nations
Sarkozy must be a good man,if he didnt trust the turks.davitugly is going to Paris to kiss,after all that tirade, French promoting the Armenian Genocide.In any situation the mongol turks display their real STUPID behavior,not realizing they are the laughing stock of the world.
Turkey needs France and Europe for membership into the european union it needs to recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923 before it will be allowed entrance.It will be required to return Greek,Assyrian,and Armenian land with reparations for the 1.5 armenians genocided and millions of Greeks and Assyrians genocided as well.There are currently 12 million armenian worldwide 15 million Greeks worldwide and 15 million Assyrians worldwide giving them total 42 million strong demanding thier rights for reparations and land for 97 years of lost use.These Turks better wake to these forces and thier allies because is long over due and there is anger.Russian and China have alliened with Armenia,Greece,and Assyria.The Glory Days of Turkey are over it was a fabricated creation in 1923 used as a political buffer zone those who fabricated this creation are gone from power and the Turks will realize they are powerless and defenseless to adjacent superpowers that can wipe them out in seconds time.
Does this mean the French are not going to resubmit the Genocide denial bill? Or, are the Turks hoping that with their gesture of normalizing relations, the French will not persue Genocide criminalizing bill?
Robert, Im sorry but I dont think there are 15 Milion Assyrians worldwide, I am half Armenian and Half Assyrian and we were always told there are half as many Assyrians as there are Armenians.