Kurdophile France ?

[UE_kurdophile]

Kurdish Media - "Pro-Kurdish politician is a favorite in French elections":

19 November 2006 / by Vladimir van Wilgenburg

French Socialist Party (PS) candidate for the presidential elections Segolene Royal was once Leyla Zana’s lawyer and had a close relationship with her reported the Turkish news paper Zaman. The Turkish newspaper also reported that she is the favorite in the French elections. This is confirmed by news reports of the Daily Telegraph and the International Herald Tribune.

Segolene Royal recently won the nomination of the French Socialist Party for the 2007 French presidential elections. This paved the way for a female candidate from a major party to become president in France for the first time. If Royal defeats her possible competitor Nicolas Sarkozy, the French will have a “Madame la president” in addition to England, Germany and Finland.

Royal was seen as a media candidate rather than a serious rival against Sarkozy, although surveys have showed her to be a favorite candidate.
Making fun of her by calling her a “beautiful woman,” even her probable rival Sarkozy said Royal’s candidacy would be in his favor reported Zaman.

Royal is Leyla Zana’s lawyer and according to Zaman a “militant supporter of the Kurdish cause”. Moreover, she was bold enough to support Turkey’s membership to European Union, despite the French public’s views, before her party’s nomination. In 1994 Royal came to Ankara to observe Zana’s trial in a State Security Court. She defended Zana and other former deputies of the pro-Kurdish Democracy Party (DEP) at the European Court of Human Rights (EHCR) later on.

In a speech broadcast on French parliamentary television Royal mentioned that she had defended Zana. Royal said there were important developments in Turkey in human rights with its European Union membership process. “I was Leyla Zana’s lawyer. She was sent to prison only for speaking Kurdish and demanding the Kurdish flag. This is now permitted in Turkey.”

Royal hosted Zana and Orhan Dogan at the French Parliament in 2004 after they were released from prison. At the time, Zana told Agence France Press (AFP), “During my hard times, the times when I was surrounded by soldiers, only Segolene was there to support me.”

But Segolene has a predecessor. The wife of the former French president Fran?ois Mitterand's (Died in 1995) was called the “Mother of Kurds”, because of her long association with the Kurdish cause and in 2002 she opened a shopping centre in Hewler. President Miterand was also a politician of the French Socialist Party. Danielle Mitterand also supported Leyla Zana when she was prosecuted.

[cazyun]

she e against a turkish eu memebrship its not good,,but good same time because she could press more on turkey

[eugenlitwin]

I guess generally France on Kurdish side. Can somebody tell me about position of gaullist party on Kurdish issues?

[Vladimir]

She used to s upport Leyla Zana, but I don't see her elected in the coming elections.