PARIS - Members of Parliamentary Commission to Investigate Problems of Citizens Living Abroad listened on Wednesday problems of Turks living in France.
The delegation comprised of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputies Mustafa Sait Yazicioglu, Faruk Ambarcioglu and Mehmet Ozcan held a meeting with representatives of almost 70 Turkish associations functioning in France.
Majority of representatives of Turkish associations asked the parliament to take action to grant the right to vote to Turkish citizens living abroad.
Representatives said that other foreigners living in French had the opportunity to vote in their own consulate buildings during election time and noted that they were said that Turkish citizens were deprived of this right although they were living in France for a long time.
High price of Turkish Airlines (THY) tickets, reduction of cost of paid military service and dispatch of more teachers and imams from Turkey were the issues highlighted by the representatives in the meeting.
Representatives of Turkish associations asked the parliament to support dual citizenship and ensure loan facilitation in Turkish banks for citizens living abroad who wanted to make investments.
The representatives called on Turkish officials to increase their initiatives to get a permission from France for Turkish Muslim cemetery.
AK Party deputy Mustafa Sait Yazicioglu said that they noted down problems of Turkish citizens living abroad and added that they would brought onto parliament's agenda the report including solutions of those citizens and proposals for solution of those problem as soon as possible.
Parliamentarians will listen to problems of Turkish citizens living in Lyon on Thursday.
The group had earlier held meetings in Britain, Netherlands and Belgium.
(BRC-AÖ) 06.11.2003