Türkiye | Official Communication with France

[EnigmaMage]

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye
Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Dışişleri Bakanlığı
Official Correspondence​

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Encryption: ENCRYPTED MESSAGE
Recipient: Sophie Dubois, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Empire of France
Sender: Yaşar Yakış, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye
Subject: Proposal for Bilateral Relations and Potential Visit to Paris

Greetings Madame Minister Dubois,

I hope this email finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to you as the Foreign Minister of Turkiye, Yasir Yakis, to express our sincere interest in strengthening the diplomatic ties between our two great nations, Turkiye and the Empire of France. The historical and cultural richness that both our countries possess, along with our shared commitment to international peace and prosperity, provide an excellent foundation for fostering a stronger relationship.

The relationship between our nations has always been important, and we believe that there is significant potential for us to work together on a wide range of issues, from trade and commerce to international security. The opportunities for collaboration are endless, and we are eager to explore them together for the mutual benefit of our people.

To initiate this process and underscore our commitment to enhancing our diplomatic ties, I would like to propose the possibility of a visit to Paris in the near future. Such a visit would provide an excellent opportunity for face-to-face discussions and the exchange of ideas on how we can move forward with our bilateral cooperation. Our delegations could discuss the various areas of common interest, including but not limited to:

1. Trade and Economic Cooperation: Exploring ways to increase bilateral trade and investment, as well as discussing potential economic partnerships.

2. Security and Counterterrorism: Sharing intelligence and collaborating on counterterrorism efforts and regional security concerns.

I would appreciate it if we could arrange a meeting at your earliest convenience to discuss the potential visit and the agenda for our discussions. We believe that this visit would be a significant step towards reinvigorating our bilateral relations and creating a brighter future for our countries and the world at large.

Please let me know your thoughts on this proposal, and I am more than willing to work with your team to ensure that this visit is both productive and memorable.

I look forward to your response and the opportunity to meet in person. I eagerly anticipate the prospect of working closely with you and your team to further strengthen the ties between Turkiye and the Empire of France.


Yours sincerely,

Yaşar Yakış
Foreign Minister
Republic of Türkiye

Alexander

 

[Alexander]

Empire de France
Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères

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From: Sophie Dubois, Ministre de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères, France
To: Yaşar Yakış, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Turkiye
Classification: Confidential

Subject: Proposal for Bilateral Relations and Potential Visit to Paris

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Your Excellency,

Thank you for your kind message and proposal for a relationship. France and Turkiye indeed share a long history of positive and fruitful relations. As such France would be highly interested in developing the relations you propose.

However, the Empire of France is a devout state, your recent actions with regards to the Church has left us no choice but to reject your invitation and through this message notify you that we will not maintain any relations with the Turkish state until such a time as relations between Ankara and the Holy See are restored.

Sincerely,
Sophie Dubois,
Ministre de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères,

EnigmaMage

 

[EnigmaMage]

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye
Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Dışişleri Bakanlığı
Official Correspondence​

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Encryption: ENCRYPTED MESSAGE
Recipient: Sophie Dubois, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Empire of France
Sender: Yaşar Yakış, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye
Subject: Foreign Relations & Hagia Sophia

Greetings Madame Minister Dubois,

I appreciate your prompt response and the frank expression of your government's concerns. France and Turkiye have indeed enjoyed a long and multifaceted history of relations, and it is regrettable that our religious differences have posed a challenge.

I must emphasize that the Republic of Turkiye, as a sovereign nation, has officially designated Islam as its state religion, and it will continue to be so. Hagia Sophia, as a matter of our internal affairs, has been converted into a mosque, and it will remain so. We consider this to be a sovereign decision, and it is in line with our national values and historical heritage.

However, I want to assure you that our policies and diplomatic engagements are not determined by religious affiliations. We firmly believe that religion should not impede the progress of diplomatic relations between nations.

Turkiye values the principles of diplomacy based on mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation. We hold in high regard the significance of dialogue, even in cases where we may have differences, as we believe that such discussions can lead to constructive outcomes for both parties.

Furthermore, I wish to emphasize that any attempt to incite political unrest within Turkiye is a matter that we take seriously. Our government is committed to ensuring peace and stability within our borders. We hope that such concerns can be addressed through peaceful dialogue, rather than resorting to any measures that could harm the relations between our nations. At the same time, I want to make it clear that if you have nothing to discuss regarding matters related to religious institutions or Hagia Sophia, we are more than willing to refrain from engaging in political conversations that could be divisive or unproductive.

We respect the stance of the Empire of France, and we hope that the diplomatic channel between our nations can remain open. Our doors are always open for dialogue, and we are willing to engage in discussions to address any concerns or explore opportunities for cooperation that align with the values of peace, stability, and prosperity for both our nations.

Yours sincerely,

Yaşar Yakış
Foreign Minister
Republic of Türkiye

Alexander

 

[Alexander]

Empire de France
Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères

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From: Sophie Dubois, Ministre de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères, France
To: Yaşar Yakış, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Turkiye
Classification: Confidential

Subject: Proposal for Bilateral Relations and Potential Visit to Paris

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Your Excellency,

We understand your arguments and normally religious matters would not impact our diplomatic actions to this extent. Even the conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a Mosque would not have made relations impossible, however your initial commitment to the Holy See and actions that you took with regards to the Vatican have simply been too much for us to ignore.

The Empire of France does not have a national religion, but the supermajority of our people are Roman Catholic, and perhaps more importantly, the Empress is Roman Catholic. France is the oldest daughter of the Church and as a result any action or insult against the Church is an action or insult against the French state.

Only if His Holiness declares that relations with Turkiye have been restored we will be able to entertain formal talks. Until such a time we wish you the best of luck.

Sincerely,
Sophie Dubois,
Ministre de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères,

EnigmaMage

 

[EnigmaMage]

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye
Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Dışişleri Bakanlığı
Official Correspondence​

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Encryption: ENCRYPTED MESSAGE
Recipient: Sophie Dubois, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Empire of France
Sender: Yaşar Yakış, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye
Subject: Foreign Relations & Hagia Sophia

Greetings Madame Minister Dubois,

I appreciate your continued engagement in this dialogue and your candid expression of your government's concerns. While it is regrettable that we find ourselves in a situation where our relations have been strained, I must clarify that it is not the position of the Republic of Turkiye to question the validity of any religion or the status of the Holy See. Also, we would like to point out that we view the Holy See as a bad actor and a parasite for Turkiye communities, and we hate to say that we view and treat the Holy See as a non-government-based actor.

Moreover, we think that Catholicism is not a real religion, and we do not accept or recognize such faith within our nation. Until then, we wish you good luck and encourage you to engage with a country diplomatically, which practices Christianity.

Yours,

Yaşar Yakış
Foreign Minister
Republic of Türkiye

Alexander