Turks mobilize civilian boycott against French products.
A civilian-led boycott against French products has begun to extend throughout the country as a bill penalizing denial of the “Armenian genocide” was passed by the French lower house, now awaiting final approval from the senate.
On top of a series of official measures announced by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan a day after the French parliament approved the bill, large groups of Turks all over the world initiated a campaign to boycott French firms and products to demonstrate their concern over the passage of the bill they consider a jab at a sensitive historical issue. Socialist Party lawmakers announced last week that “the bill would be on the senate agenda as soon as possible,” as failure to do so would incite Armenian reaction on top of the Turkish boycotts and make things “worse” for France.
Although Turkish measures announced on Friday did not include any financial boycott against French companies in line with international financial agreements Turkey is bound to honor, Turkish civil society has taken its own initiative to slam France with consequences, as Turkish officials predicted they would ahead of the French vote.
Although some of the campaigns remained symbolic, such as taking out French football teams from betting games in Turkey, others extend to a level that could cause serious harm to French businesses in Turkey, much like in 2001 when France saw its export rate to Turkey drop by 40 percent following senate's recognition of the 1915 events as genocide. Relations with France were repaired in the long run, specifically after the withdrawal of a similar denial bill from the senate agenda in 2006.
Disappointed by the French move, Turks all over the world exchange lists of products allegedly made or marketed by French companies to block their purchase in protest of the bill's approval. However, some of the lists circulating on the Internet through social networks contain companies and products that have no connections to France, highlighting the possibility that the current storm of reactions would provide people with suitable tools to mislead the boycott with other motives.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
