Erdogan slams Sarkozy's conditions

Presidential hopeful Sarkozy said on France-Inter radio that he had spoken with Erdogan on the telephone twice with regard to the French bill, which will be debated at the National Assembly on Thursday, and told him that they could oppose the bill if Turkey opens its border gate with neighboring Armenia, scrap Article 301, which the European Union says is restrictive of freedom of expression, from its penal code, and establish a joint commission between Turkey and Armenia to study the genocide allegations.

In response to Sarkozy's conditions, Erdogan said it was the Turkish side which proposed the establishment of a joint commission for academic debates on genocide allegations and made clear that Turkey's good intentions were not welcomed by Armenia, which rejected the proposal.

On Article 301, Erdogan said the French suggestion on that issue had nothing to do with the issue, stressing that France was not in a position to demand something from Turkey.

"First of all France should take a look at itself," Erdogan said.

Facing pressure from the EU to amend or scrap Article 301 under which scores of Turkish intellectuals have been put on trial, Turkey has accused the bloc of applying double standards, saying that France itself is blocking free speech under the bill that it plans to legislate.

On opening the border gate, Erdogan said Armenia should first act with good will toward Turkey's approach.

The border gate between Turkey and Armenia has been closed for more than a decade. Turkey closed the gate and severed its diplomatic relations with Armenia after Armenian troops occupied Azeri territory of Nagorno Karabakh.

Ankara now says normalization of ties depends on Armenian withdrawal from Nagorno Karabakh, as well as on progress in resolution of a series of bilateral disagreements, including Armenia stopping to support Armenian diaspora efforts to get international recognition for the alleged genocide.

/Turkish Daily News/