Turkey Threatens To Halt Imports Of French Wines, Cheeses
ISTANBUL, Jan 25 (News Agencies) - Turkey may halt imports of French wines and cheeses to hit back at the French parliament for recognizing the killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as genocide, a newspaper reported Thursday.
Turkish Agriculture Minister Yusuf Gokalp also said animal 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 Ankara "immediately" withdraw its candidature for membership of the European Union and many trade and industry groups have called for a boycott of French goods.
Several hundred people took part in a protest outside the French embassy in Ankara on Thursday where daily demonstrations have been held since the parliament adopted the bill on January 18th.
About 150 members of veteran groups denounced what they said was a "decision against the Turkish people made for minor reasons."
A group of 30 young Azerbaijani intellectuals called on the Turkish people "to refute the baseless Armenian allegations."
Some 100 members from the women's branch of the center-right Motherland Party, part of the governing coalition, also held their own protest at the embassy.
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said at the weekend that Turkey would announce a list of sanctions against France within days.
On Tuesday, Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu cancelled a preliminary contract with Alcatel for a spy satellite and threatened to exclude 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 500,000 Armenians were killed, whereas the Armenians claim 1.5 million people died.
