Turkish-Italian businessmen ponder effects of boycott

[ozgurluk at xs4all.nl]

   ISTANBUL, Nov 24 (AFP) - The boycott of Italian products in  
Turkey, launched at grassroots level to protest Rome's reluctance to 
extradite Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, may end up hurting 
economies in both countries, an official of the Turkish-Italian 
business council warned Tuesday. 
   "The boycott issue is a very sensitive one and could prove  
harmful to both countries," Vahit Erdem, co-chairman of the council, 
told AFP. 
   "Italian companies working with Turkey are very worried about  
the consequences such a boycott might have for commercial ties," he 
said. 
   The boycott of Italian goods has been snowballing in Turkey over  
the past few days, as Italy continues to refuse extradition of the 
leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), arrested in Rome 
earlier this month. 
   Erdem said he had written to his Italian counterpart in the  
business council, requesting an emergency meeting in Turkey. 
   "I hope the Italian government will soon realize how serious the  
situation is", he added. 
   But another business association focusing on trade with Italy  
took a less pessimistic view of the current tide of public feeling. 
   "The boycott movement is an emotional reaction from the man in  
the street," Claudio Petrini, general manager of the Turkish-Italian 
Commerce Association in Istanbul, said. 
   "But much of the Italian imports are aimed at a market segment  
well above those who are burning Gucci ties outside the Italian 
consulates and refusing to eat pizza," he said. 
   "It's really too early to see where this is going. But it's more  
a question of threats than of actual economic impact for now", he 
said. 
   Member companies of his association, 98 percent of which are  
Turkish, have taken no drastic measures so far, he said. "At worst, 
they have put an order on hold for a couple of days to await 
developments." 
   Petrini said he expected the worst of the crisis to blow over in  
coming days, as public opinion in Italy seemed to be turning against 
asylum for Ocalan and the Italian government was already exploring 
alternatives. 
  	   	

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