Economic Blockade On France

Turkey is satisfied with the content and the outcomes of the meetings, and the economic outcomes particularly pleased Paris. After an agreement was reached [between Turkish Airlines (THY) and Airbus] for the plane tender, Chirac remarked, "I should call Schröeder immediately and give him the good news." Erdogan does not return from Paris empty handed. It is not possible to say that France gave full and clear support for the negotiation date, but then again, we did not set off with such an expectation.

While Chirac underlined the positive steps taken by the Erdogan administration for the European Union (EU) over the past two years, he reiterated that France’s decision in December would be shaped according to the findings of the Progress Report on Turkey. France stands where it is. With his Paris visit, Erdogan made a great ‘diplomatic maneuver’, and he brought ‘politics and economy’ together in the same line. Erdogan spread a ‘package of economic benefits’ before France that it could not reject.

Erdogan awarded the THY plane tender to the Airbus consortium, whose major manufacturing plants are in France and Germany. The cost of the 36 planes surpasses 1.5 billion US dollars. The Memorandum of Understanding between Airbus and THY was signed on the last day of the visit during a splendid ceremony.

Erdogan also offered to cooperate with France in the area of nuclear energy. That is economic gain for France. Moreover, Erdogan completely opened the doors to French companies wanting to take part in Turkey’s privatization. Of course, all of these are not solely for France’s sake, but instead for the support it would provide for a ‘negotiation date’ in December. They are to secure France’s support. An attitude to the contrary might cause the economic benefits to France to come to a halt.

It would be for the benefit of both Turkey and France if Turkey is given a negotiation date in December. The Chirac administration and business circles should be aware of this. Chirac is closer to Turkey compared to France’s other dynamics. Undoubtedly, the threat of an economic blockade [by Turkey] would strengthen Chirac inside against those who are distanced to Turkey’s membership. The most important outcome of Erdogan’s perfectly timed Paris visit is the fact that he nearly took France under economic encirclement. In this aspect, it could be said the three-day Paris visit was very fruitful.

The threat of an economic blockade will force the Paris administration to say ‘yes’ in December. While he was setting out for Paris on Monday afternoon, Erdogan had said he hoped to return from France with the ‘same enthusiasm’. I could say that Erdogan’s enthusiasm remains the same on his way back and he keeps the same hopes for the December summit.