ANKARA, Turkey: Turkey has suspended military relations with France in a dispute over whether the mass killings of Armenians in the last century amounted to genocide, the land forces commander said.
The move raises tensions with a key member of the European Union at a time when Turkey's negotiations to become a member of the 25-nation bloc look increasingly troubled, with neither side willing to give way on a dispute over divided Cyprus.
Gen. Ilker Basbug told reporters on Wednesday that military ties with France were suspended after lawmakers in France's lower house of parliament approved a bill in October that would make it a crime to deny that Turks committed genocide against Armenians. The bill would have to be approved by the French Senate and president to become law.
"Relations with France in the military field have been suspended," the state-owned Anatolia news agency quoted Basbug as saying. Asked whether there were any cancellations of military visits, Basbug said, "There are no high-level visits between the two countries."
Lale Sariibrahimoglu, an expert on military issues, said the cancellation of visits would not have a substantial effect on military contracts.
"In the past few years, France had not had very high chance of winning Turkish military contracts anyway, for example in helicopter and satellite procurement projects," she said. For example, the Eurocopter Group's Tiger helicopter was eliminated from the running to supply attack helicopters to Turkey, she said.
A Turkish, army-owned conglomerate, Oyak, has several partnerships with French companies, including Renault, and these investments were not likely to be affected, Sariibrahimoglu said.
France's Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry had no immediate comment.
Turkey vehemently denies that it committed genocide against Armenians, though many nations have classified the World War I-era killings as such and say some 1.5 million Armenians were killed.
Turkey acknowledges that large numbers of Armenians died in mass expulsions and fighting, but says the number of dead is exaggerated and that most were killed in interethnic battles as the Ottoman Empire collapsed.
The Turkish general spoke at a reception in honor of the founding of the breakaway republic in Turkish northern Cyprus.
In 1974, Turkish forces invaded the island to stop a coup by army officers that aimed to unite Cyprus with Greece. Since then, Turkey has propped up a government of ethnic Turks on the north of the island that no other nation recognizes.
When Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, benefits of membership were only extended to the Greek-speaking side , and the conflict has threatened to derail Turkey's hopes of also joining the union.
Turkey has refused to extend its customs union to include Greek Cyprus, despite EU warnings that failing to do so would risk the suspension of membership talks. Turkey insists, however, that it will not open up to Cyprus until an international embargo against Turks on the island is lifted.
"If by the end of the year Turkey still does not recognize the 25 member states, notably including Cyprus, then it appears to me necessary to rethink the timetable for the adhesion of Turkey," French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said last week.
France and Turkey are both NATO members, and Turkey has bought French weaponry. The two countries also have participated in military exercises together, and have sent troops to serve in the international peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
Turkey has said that the French lawmakers' vote has deeply harmed relations. A Turkish consumer's union has urged a boycott of French goods, and Turkey's broadcasting watchdog suggested a complete boycott of French films and other media.
The European Union has criticized the French bill, saying it is not in line with the principle of free expression. The United States also criticized the bill, saying it obstructs a Turkish-Armenian dialogue.
The Armenian issue is one of the most divisive and emotional in Turkey. Those who classify the killings as genocide are often accused of treason.
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