Israel Matzav

French military aircraft barred from Turkish space

In a continuing spat over France's backhanded recognition of the truth - that Turkey slaughtered more than a million Armenians a century ago - Turkey is refusing to allow French military aircraft to fly over, and French ships to sail in, its territory.

“Our requests [for an aircraft and two warships] have been rejected, so we are no longer issuing such requests. We are using alternative routes,” France’s Ambassador to Turkey Laurent Bili told the private news channel CNN Türk in an interview.

Bili said the first rejection was to a request for a French military aircraft that wanted to use Turkish airspace on its way to France from Afghanistan. Similarly, two French warships were not allowed to enter Turkish territorial waters recently. Turkey’s move against the French military was part of sanctions imposed against France after the adoption of the law at French Parliament late December last year.

Unfortunately, Ambassador Bili went on to engage in some dhimmi apologetics.

“There was such an atmosphere [in Ankara] that necessitated my return to France,” Bili said, adding that the Turkish reaction against the move was a surprise for many French people but did not affect Turkey’s image in the country. “France attaches great importance to its relationship with Turkey. We need to be calm. The law is not aimed against Turkey […] The number of Armenians living in France is 10 times more than the number of Armenians in Turkey. They have become a part of French history. I understand how sensitive issues are concerning ancestors, but cutting off ties is not a good idea.”

It's all just politics. So much for moral decency.

Labels: Armenian genocide, France, Turkey

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:07 AM