French experts optimistic about Turkey-France relations

Anadolu Agency (Turkey) 18 May 2012

Rahmi Gunduz, Paris

French experts optimistic about Turkey-France relations during Hollande’s presidency. International relations experts of France are hopeful and optimistic about reactivation of better bilateral relations during Hollande’s presidency.

Bilateral relations of France had came to a standstill during Nicolas Sarkozy presidency.

French experts are optimistic about France’s being positive over Turkey-EU relations, however they foresee that Armenian allegations regarding incidents in 1915 will continue for a while.

Didier Billion who works as a researcher at Institute for International and Strategic Relations (IRIS) said that he believed during President Francois Hollande’s era the bilateral relations between France and Turkey would get calmer and better.

Billion replied the question of AA related to the subject and said that the Hollande and his government would consider following the normalizing and reforming policies in order to improve the bilateral relations of France.

Billion said, « At least, Hollande is not against Turkey’s membership to the EU from the intellectual point of view. I guess that chapters that were prevented by Sarkozy will open in Holland’s period. Billion also stressed that the Armenia issue between Turkey and France will continue being a problem. »

Dorethy Schmidth who is a researcher at French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) said that the political atmosphere would be calmer in future. French researcher underlined, « Hollande might annoy Turkey about the southeastern issue, women’s rights and intellectual freedom. Opposite to Sarkozy, Hollande will not be against Turkey’s membership to EU because of cultural differences or so. However, Hollande might bring forward the issue of democracy, might criticize Turkey’s politics over Israel and Iran. »

Schmidth also highlighted that both countries should keep having close relationship over international issues such as Syria issue. Schmidth warned that the Armenia issue would not be off the agenda. Schmidth said that Hollande might try and work on finding social and diplomatic consensus.