'Incidents in France broke out suddenly as a reaction to [a plan to] dismiss the Africans. But they failed; they misplayed the game. I hope the problem is solved; otherwise, the damage will spread to all of Europe and Asia'

Riots that began Oct. 27 in the suburbs of Paris after two Muslim teenagers died from electrocution while trying to run away from the police have spread across France. During the ensuing riots, 5,000 cars were burned, over 1,000 people were arrested, two police officers were shot and one person died.

Security measures against the continuing riots have been increased. The French government imposed curfews in some areas to halt the rioting, and Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said the riots are threatening France's image. Britain, Canada, Russia, Australia, the United States and Japan have warned their citizens about traveling to Paris, the world's most popular tourist destination.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the groups involved in the Paris riots and said: "I am asking for our citizens living in Paris to be moderate and calm. You don't have the right to seek remedy by ravaging and destroying."

Zeynel Abidin Erdem, vice president of the Foreign Economic Relations Board's (DEIK) Turkish-French Business Council, said he doesn't expect the violent incidents in France to spread among Muslim Turks in Europe.

"Wherever they reside, Turkish immigrants consider the advice of their government or of social and political organizations. I personally think that Turks living in Germany and Belgium will not get involved in these incidents," said Erdem.

Erdem: Events will have great impact on politics: Erdem thinks the events in France are a game played on Muslims and a basis for the anti-democratic isolation of Muslims in France. He opined the following:

"A plan was hatched in France when it was felt that the North African Muslim population would increase and that they would be able to become an effective political force in the future. This plan was about how to dismiss them from France. But the plan was not honestly implemented. There were groups against the plan supporting these Muslims, and these groups have had a great influence over the riots. The rioters ravaged, destroyed, looted and killed, but France has a strong government. It has not used its iron fist yet. It is fighting with 5,000 to 6,000 police officers. But these people will disperse when France uses its iron fist.

"The appearance of a new revolution, a new democracy and a new ideology should not be expected because there is no basis for it. Incidents in France broke out suddenly as a reaction to [the plan to] dismiss the Africans. But they failed; they misplayed the game. I hope the problem is solved; otherwise, the damage will spread to all of Europe and Asia. Their own plan will hurt their own economy. Because the rate of unemployment is nearly 20 percent in the suburbs of France, where lower income people live, the riotous events threaten to lead to other undesirable outcomes."

Erdem, as a Turk and a businessman who annually imports 30-60 tons of products from France, condemned the riots and said the uprising benefits neither Turkey nor Europe. He continued; "It is an action inconsistent with current social values. Such actions are not acceptable by religions, political movements or ideologies. But France should think of how it can establish relations with these people in the future and how it will organize their streets, hospitals and schools. It is obvious the ghettos, which the French government never takes into consideration, must be brought under control, and the government must invest in places where the immigrants live. If the French government had invested in these areas and its people, we would not have witnessed such ugly events."

He noted that the uprising in France would not have a negative impact on the Turkish economy "but it will have an impact on Turkish politics. We can play a peaceful role in preventing an environment of religious and cultural discrimination, like our prime minister says." Erdem said the headscarf issue should be considered from a different perspective. "It [the uprising] is not related to the headscarf issue or Islam. Low-income, non-Muslim native French citizens are involved in these events, too. It is meaningless to link these events to the headscarf ban because the headscarf doesn't even concern these poor French people."

Alton: Harsh position triggers riots: Economy Professor Mehmet Allan said the French government's harsh position triggered the riots.

Pointing to a large difference between immigration policies in Britain and France, Allan offered the following:

"Britain exerts much effort to integrate its immigrants into its system and society. It seems to have succeeded to a great extent. It can successfully manage discontent. But France settled its immigrants in social ghettos and excluded them. Now it sees the result of this. Also, France has adopted a violent position against these hopeless young immigrants, who have nothing to lose, rather than correct mistakes and offer hope. When France is compared to Britain, it becomes clear how to solve problems and how to approach 'others' in this new era. France is an example of how it should not be done, but Britain can be taken as a model in spite of some deficits," said the professor.

Akuzum: It is not related to headscarf: Political scientist Ural Akuzum said the French policy of alienation of its large group of immigrants has been continuing since the 1960s, resulting in a dominant-subordinate relationship. The political expert elaborates:

"Ongoing riots in France are a sudden explosion and not only related to unfair income distribution. There is an underlying adverse socio-psychological situation in France. There are very few black and Arab police officers in France.

Most police officers are white. The number of minorities in government and state institutions is also low. Other European counlries don't have as many ghettos as France. That's why the rioting spreading to other countries in Europe will not be systemalic and organized, as it is in France." Akuzum answers a question as to whether the headscarf ban in French schools was one of the factors for what can be called the "immigrant uprising."

"The riots have nothing to do with the headscarf, but we can say that they were caused in part by the degradation and misunderstanding of other lifestyles. It is sad that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to send a message to Turkey by linking the headscarf ban to the street riots."