Turkish ambassador slams French media's bias on Azerbaijan during Olympics coverage

Turkish Ambassador to France Yunus Demirer has said that the provocative statements of the French TV channel Fr2 presenter, who covered the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Paris, are based on France's unfair position towards Azerbaijan.

"In the past, relations between the two countries were at a high level. Today's problem is related to the bias of France, which supports Armenia. Karabakh historically belongs to Azerbaijan, which liberated its lands from occupation. The relations between the two countries will be restored if France takes a fair position on this issue," the ambassador told Azerbaijani media, Caliber.Az reports.

He also reminded that the Olympic Games, essentially politically neutral, should unite peoples and countries.

On July 26, during the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, a correspondent from France2 made discriminatory remarks during the parade of Azerbaijani and Armenian athletes.

The reporter accused Azerbaijan of initiating clashes with Armenia, referred to Armenia as a friend of France, and remarked that this year has been significant for Armenians due to the “fall of Nagorno-Karabakh” to the Azerbaijani army.

Following the biased comments, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan and the National Olympic Committee have formally protested to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through a letter.

The letter further argues that such comments not only contradict the spirit of the Games but also undermine peace efforts between Azerbaijan and Armenia. It urges the IOC to take a strong stance against the politicization of sports, issue a public statement, and protest to the French Government, the French National Olympic and Sports Committee, and the television channel in question.