French hotel denies Turkish delegation a conference room

NTV

TOBB delegation in Paris. AA Photo

A hotel in France cancelled a reservation by a Turkish delegation for a conference room without offering any reason for cancellation, private broadcaster NTV reported on its website.

The delegation was made up of prominent representatives of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) and the Turkish Industry & Business Association (TÜSİAD). They were travelling to France to campaign against a French motion criminalizing the denial of Armenian genocide claims.

The room reserved for the delegation in the Intercontinental Le Grand Hotel was cancelled last minute by hotel management due to unavailability, but reports hinted at mounting political pressure on the hotel management as the underlying cause. 

The delegation immediately cancelled all bookings at Le Grand and moved to Paris Hilton Hotel instead. The event was moved instead to the Turkish Consulate General building in Paris. 

TOBB Chairman Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said Le Grand Hotel refused to refund the delegation at first for the bookings but eventually gave in and paid them back.