Turkey has called on both Canada and France to weigh up their recognition of the 1915 mass killings of Armenians as genocide against their trading relationships with the country in recent weeks, as they push for killings to not be labelled genocide.
Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız was speaking to reporters on Monday, stating that he hoped France would consider their stance on the killings, which they recognised as genocide, after France had penned a deal to help build Turkey’s second nuclear power plant. The deal, which would cost an estimated $22 million, will also see the French company Areva's Atmea reactors used.
Last year bids from two French firms to become involved in the construction of the power plants were rejected, in an apparent response to French bill outlawing the denial of the mass killings of Armenians by Ottaman Turks in 1915 as genocide.
Yildiz remarked to reporters,
“We unfortunately failed to bring about a rapprochement during the [former President Nicolas] Sarkozy term. …last week's deal is a positive step to see this happen”.
Earlier this year Turkey's ambassador to Canada called on the country to do the same in light of the $2.5 billion trade relationship between the countries.
Ambassador Tuncay Babali went on to say,
"I'm a true believer in the potential of our two nations. Canada has a lot to offer Turkey and Turkey in return has a lot to offer Canada”.
"It cannot be business as usual while accusing a nation of genocide. It's a serious allegation. It needs to be substantiated, legally, historically."
