Genocide row with France likely to kill off terror deal

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

One of the most concrete consequences of the ongoing rift between Turkey and France will likely be the killing off of the crucial bilateral anti-terror agreement that was signed in October.

“Ratification of this agreement in both countries’ Parliaments in the coming months would be surprising. And what is worst is the fact the agreement will be null and void if it is not adopted at French Parliament before it goes to recess in two months’ time,” a senior diplomatic source told the Hürriyet Daily News over the weekend.

The adoption of the bill penalizing the denial of the Armenian genocide escalated tensions between Turkey and France as the former imposed harsh measures against its NATO ally. The anti-terror agreement was signed by Interior Ministers Claude Gueant and İdris Naim Şahin on Oct. 7 in Ankara. The deal focused on deepening cooperation on the fight against terrorism, organized crime, drug and human smuggling and illegal immigration between the two countries. It will be as substantive as possible and will also include establishment of mechanisms. The outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has an important presence in France, where it collects financial resources to fund the organization’s terrorist acts. Paris has arrested high-level PKK members but failed to extradite them to Turkey due to gaps in French laws.