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Technology Stocks : Alcatel (ALA) and France -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: zbyslaw owczarczyk who wrote (2972)	2/7/2001 3:40:49 AM
From: elmatador	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3891

Turkey drops Alcatel By Leyla Boulton in Ankara and Raphael Minder in Paris Published: February 6 2001 21:02GMT \| Last Updated: February 6 2001 21:56GMT Alcatel, the French telecommunications group, has been dropped from a Turkish mobile telephone tender in a growing boycott sparked by the French parliament's endorsement of Armenian genocide claims. Turk Telekom, the state-owned utility, cited sanctions against France as the reason why it had not invited Alcatel to bid in a renewed tender to supply infrastructure for its planned cellular operation. A previous tender, in which Alcatel had been a bidder, was cancelled because of a change in specifications. A French parliamentary resolution saying the Ottoman Empire committed genocide against its Armenian community 85 years ago has provoked an outcry in Turkey, which rejects the accusation. The government headed by Bulent Ecevit, prime minister, has not announced a formal boycott in retaliation, but French companies and joint ventures in Turkey have faced growing sanctions. The armed forces, which are not tied to any party, together with four of the ministries controlled by the National Action party, the most nationalistic coalition partner, have respectively barred French bidders from defence contracts, grain tenders, and a $1.1bn highway contract. Osman Durmus, the health minister, has even threatened to ban French medicine. Enis Oksuz, the communications minister, denied that the cancellation of the tender in which Alcatel had been a bidder was politically motivated. He added it was up to Telekom to decide which companies could take part in the renewed tender. Some analysts said it was possible the minister was simply trying to distance himself from a move that is unlikely to please business and financial circles. Leading Turkish businessmen have deplored economic sanctions against France at a time when Turkey is trying to restore the confidence of international markets following a severe financial crisis late last year. In its latest effort to help rebuild Turkey's credibility, the IMF on Monday approved the latest $1.4bn tranche of a $10bn Turkish rescue package.