
Sunday, July 06, 2008

Relations with France

2003 year made a stagnant beginning for political relations between Ankara and Paris, after Turkey was given appointment in 2004 for taking a decision on starting of full membership negotiations in the European Union's (EU) Copenhagen Summit which was held at the end of 2002.

Although there was a partial improvement in 2002 in bilateral relations that were earlier harmed by the French parliament's approval of a law that recognized so-called Armenian genocide, France's refraining from extending support to Turkey for its negotiation date disappointed the Turkey.

Although political relations between Turkey and France were partially normalized in 2002, France played a role with Germany in delay of setting a negotiation date for Turkey. The attitude of France caused a serious disappointment in Turkey and it also became an obstacle in front of improvement of bilateral relations between the two countries in 2003.

French President Jacques Chirac, French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin and other high level officials refrained from giving a clear and direct answer to questions whether negotiations would be started with Turkey.

BOMB ATTACKS AND EU

French public opinion reviewed relations between Turkey and the EU due to bomb attacks which were staged consecutively in Istanbul in November.

Bomb attacks in Istanbul was included in French press and visual media. Some comments which said that ''Turkey, a single secular Muslim country in the region, should not be left alone'' were made.

France's warning its citizens to postpone their visits to Turkey if it is not necessary due to attacks in Istanbul disturbed Ankara which has expected Paris to issue a powerful message on fight against terrorism.

Meanwhile, France which pursued a different policy from the United States was pleased with Turkish parliament's disapproval of the first motion on dispatch of soldiers to Iraq during the United States' war against Iraq regime in 2003.

Although the parliament approved the second motion giving authority to the government to dispatch soldiers to Iraq, the government's taking decision not to use its authority was welcomed generally by French officials and public opinion. Reforms on human rights and democracy that were fulfilled by Turkish government, especially lifting of death penalty, were also welcomed by France.

ECONOMIC RELATIONS

France also continued to be an important country with regard to foreign capital investments for Turkey in 2003.

France also continued to be ranked the fifth among the countries which made the most capital investment in Turkey in 2003.

According to data of Treasury Foreign Trade Undersecretariat, 29 French companies were allowed to make 93 million 743 thousand U.S. dollars worth of foreign capital investment in Turkey between January and June in 2003.

According to the same information, France had a share of 6.57 percent in total foreign capital investments in Turkey.

State Minister Ali Babacan and Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan paid several visits to Paris in 2003 and came together with French businessmen. Babacan and Unakitan held meetings for improvement of this share.

FOREIGN TRADE

Turkey's exports to France continued to increase in 2003.

Turkey's exports to this country increased by 23 percent from 1 billion 19 million U.S. dollars to 1 billion 256 million U.S. dollars between January and June 2003 when compared to the same period last year.

Turkey's exports to France became 2 billion 123 million U.S. dollars in 2002.

Turkey exported most textile and ready-to-wear products to France. Automotive products followed them.

Turkey's imports from France also increased in 2003 when compared to the last year. According to data of January-June 2003, imports from France increased by 32.7 percent from 1 billion 327 million U.S. dollars to 1 billion 760 million U.S. dollars. Turkey imported mostly machine and transportation vehicles from France.

Chemical industry products followed them.

TOURISM SECTOR

France also continued to be ranked the fourth among European countries which sent their citizens to Turkey to spend their holidays in 2003.

A total of 452 thousand 387 French tourists visited Turkey between January and November 2003. 498 thousand 988 French tourists visited the country in the same period of last year.

Economic crisis in France and French tourists' refraining from spending their holidays abroad were shown as the reason of slight decrease in the number of tourists who visited Turkey this year.

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