"Turkish Season" in France will take place as planned

PanARMENIAN.Net - A series of events to introduce Turkish culture to Turkey-skeptical France will take place as planned, despite speculation that it might be canceled amid tensions over France's strong opposition to Turkey's membership in the European Union.



The nine-month "Turkish Season" will be launched by Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay and his French counterpart, Christine Albanel, June 30 at a press conference in Paris, a statement from the Foreign Ministry said late on Thursday. Turkish Season, which will include concerts, conferences and exhibitions across France to illustrate Turkey's modern face and its historical and cultural richness, will run through March 31, 2010.



"I have told my colleagues that we should reconsider the whole thing. What can we do with an administration that has such an approach towards Turkey? How many French people will benefit from this event? How many of them will come and watch the festivities?" Erdoğan asked in an interview with NTV television last week.



Sarkozy further emphasized his anti-Turkish membership in the run-up to elections for the European Parliament, which took place in early June. Sarkozy believes that Turkey does not belong to Europe and proposes instead a privileged partnership that falls short of membership in the 27-nation EU.

Doubts over whether the Turkish Season would be held as planned were reinforced when President Abdullah Gül postponed a meeting with about 200 businessmen who provided funds for the event, which was due to take place on Thursday.



Gül was expected to meet with Sarkozy in Paris in October to formally launch the Turkish Season but it is not clear whether he will stick to the original plans amid misgivings in Ankara over the French stance against Turkish EU membership, Today's Zaman reported.