Chirac says France would protect Turkey in war

“Chirac assured the Turkish president of France’s full solidarity and said France would fulfil its obligations if Turkey was threatened,” spokeswoman Catherine Colonna quoted Chirac as telling Sezer.
Chirac told Sezer France’s decision this week to veto NATO planning to protect Turkey in case of war did not jeopardise Paris’s solidarity with Ankara.
Sezer told Chirac — who has repeatedly said military action in Iraq should only be a last resort — that he also backed a peaceful solution to the crisis in Iraq, which the United States accuses of harbouring banned weapons of mass destruction.
France, Germany and Belgium on Monday vetoed proposals to plan for defending Turkey on the grounds that such a move could send a signal that diplomatic efforts to solve the crisis were over.
Earlier on Wednesday France shot down a compromise aimed at breaking the NATO deadlock over Turkey, dashing hopes for a swift end to a row that is damaging the Western alliance.
Diplomats say the three doves are unlikely to budge until after chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix reports to the Security Council on Friday.