GAZIANTEP
Turkish prime minister expressed hope on Sunday that Turkey-France relations would be better in the new era that began after Sunday's presidential election in France.
Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Nicolas Sarzoky had promised to quit politics if he lost the election, and noted that Sarkozy would most probably be on holiday from now on.
"Turkey-France relations should be better, based on peace, solidarity and sensitivity in this new era in France," Erdogan held a press conference in the southeastern province of Gaziantep before he left for Slovenia.
Erdogan said if populist messages in election campaigns were reflected on implementations of the new administration in France, it would have a negative impact on Turkey-France relations.
"I hope that they would just remain as remarks made at squares," he said.
Socialist candidate Francois Hollande won the second round of the French presidential election by gaining 52 percent of the votes. Sarkozy's votes stayed at 48 percent.
57-year-old Hollande began his political career as the adviser to Francois Mitterrand, who served as the president of France between 1981 and 1995.
Hollande, who supported the law criminalizing denial of Armenian allegations regarding the incidents of 1915, has given the message that he does no more welcome Turkey's European Union membership saying that negotiations have prolonged for so long.
The French Constitutional Council has rejected the law criminalizing denial of Armenian allegations.
