Witness France's deft touch forging a bigger brighter multipolar world.

TURKEY FREEZES TIES WITH FRANCE

ANKARA November 16, 2006 (Guardian) - Turkey has frozen all military ties with France in protest at the French parliament's support [sic, passage by the Assemblée Nationale, 106-19] for a bill making it a crime to deny that Armenians suffered genocide during the Ottoman era [sic, the disputed genocide was between 1915 and 1917; the Ottoman "era" extended from 1299-1922].

The head of Turkey's land forces, General Ilker Basbug, said that high level military visits would be discontinued. "Relations with France in the military field have been suspended," he said.

This is France's handiwork with an ally.

... France and Turkey are both Nato members, and Turkey has been a buyer of French-made weaponry. French defence firms view Turkey and its fast-growing economy as a lucrative market for their hardware. The two countries also have participated in military exercises together, and have sent troops to serve in the international peacekeeping force in Lebanon.

... France, which holds elections next year, is home to the largest Armenian diaspora in Europe.

One can hardly blame Turkey for stiffing France.

Turkey has been an EU (then EEC) Associate Member since 1964. Turkey formally applied for full membership on April 14, 1999, with its candidacy officially recognized on December 10, 1999. Accession negotiations began on October 3, 2005. France has been stiffing Turkey with her signature condescending derogations and perfidies ever since (and here and here).

Turkey has not misread the French bill. Its response, likewise, cannot be misread.

UPDATE: Just so France doesn't miss the irony.

ALGERIAN GENOCIDE MONUMENT TO BE BUILT IN TURKEY

ISTANBYL November 22, 2006 (Cihan News Agency) - The municipality of Bandirma, a northwestern Turkish city, has [unanimously] approved a proposal to build a monument to victims of the Algerian Genocide in the town in protest the adoption of the controversial Armenian bill in the French parliament.

... Interestingly enough, France does not recognize the claims of genocide which the French committed against the Algerians in the second half of the 20th century.

"Sons don't apologize for their fathers' mistakes" French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said during an official visit to Algeria last week, in response to the Algerian government, which urged France to apologize for the killings and suffering during 130 years of French colonial rule.

PFFT (What is this?): Another French multipolar triumph 0 | Rayonnement français 0