French presidential hopeful says Turks ‘are very close’ to himJune 28, 2011 - 13:31 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The youngest contender for the French presidency in 2012 has said he is already well-acquainted with Turkey thanks to family roots that go back to eastern Turkey. Maxime Verner’s mother has Armenian roots in the eastern province of Erzurum, while the 21-year-old candidate’s father is ethnic French. “I know Turkey very well; I am interested [in Turkish] history also. I feel [that the] Turks are very close to me. They are open-minded. I want to build a bridge between Turkey and other countries. I would like to tell them that the world of tomorrow is ours. We have responsibilities to conquer and obtain solidarity,” Verner said in an interview with Hürriyet Daily News. “I am not expecting any support [from] the French-Armenian community; I am French. But lots of Armenians and Turks do support me,” Verner said. The presidential candidate also said he attended Istanbul’s Galatasaray University as an exchange student recently. Verner, whose father was a taxi driver, said his interest in politics began while he was working in his father’s cab in the village where he was born. “Today, I do not belong to any party; my family has never belonged to any [parties either.] I became popular [through the support of] the working class,” he said. “I want to change the future, the young generations, the long-term perspectives, the world. I want to help France open itself to the world. I would like to free society where anything is possible for anyone. I believe emotions can change the world,” he said and added that he made extensive use of modern technology during election campaigns. Verner also said he was a member of the “Association des Jeunes de France” (The Association for the French Youth) and said the youth wanted to earn the trust of the French people. “We want to elucidate [people on] how great the potential of young people is and what we can do,” he said. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Government reveals details from Pashinyan’s meeting in border village Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a group of residents of a border village in Armenia’s northern Tavush province Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. |