Turkey may halt imports of French wines and cheeses, to hit back at the French parliament's adoption of a bill, recognizing as genocide the killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire, a newspaper reported Thursday.
Turkish Agriculture Minister Yusuf Gokalp also said veterinary vaccines would be on a boycott list of goods from France, the daily newspaper Radikal reported.
Asked what would become of France's "renowned wines and cheeses," Gokalp answered: "They'll have to find other markets."
The French National Assembly last week adopted the bill recognizing as genocide the killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire, unleashing a wave of anger in Turkey.
Protesters demanded that Turkey "immediately" withdraw its candidature for membership of the European Union and many trade and industry groups have called for a boycott of French goods.
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said at the weekend that Ankara would announce a list of sanctions against France within days.
On Tuesday, Defense Minister Sabahattin Gakmakoglu cancelled a preliminary contract with Alcatel for a spy satellite and excluded Giat from bidding on a contract for the joint production of 1,000 combat tanks.
Ankara categorically rejects claims of genocide perpetrated in the twilight years of the Ottoman Empire, saying that some 300,000 to 500,00 Armenians were killed, whereas the Armenians claim 1.5 million victims. — (AFP, Istanbul)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
