France mustn't use the Armenian card
October 9, 2006
The new Anatolian
By Ilnur Cevik
The key place of France in the European Union which Turkey is trying to enter and its important place in the international community are undeniable realities that we all have to live with in Turkey.
France and Turkey were key allies for centuries during the Ottoman era. They respected and supported each other, despite the fact that one was a Christian empire in the heart of Europe and the other was the bastion of Islam.
The chill in Turco-French relations that prevailed in the 1980s was overcome by late President Francois Mitterand and then Prime Minister Turgut Ozal. Turkey's economic ties reached excellent levels, with the French being awarded lucrative Turkish state contracts from plane purchases to satellite systems.
Now we observe sadly that we are sliding back to the old days when our relations were frosty.
The French insistence on passing a law that would send people to prison for denying that Turks
massacred Armenians at the turn of the 20th century is really hurting the Turkish people on
all fronts. Just to add insult to injury, the fact that President Jacques Chirac recently paid
an official visit to Armenia and made more controversial statements further antagonized both the Turkish government and the people of our country.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has asked bluntly if he made statements in France denying Turks had massacred Armenians would the French authorities put him in prison… Turkish officials have jumped at the occasion to make fiery statements, which is further adding to the tensions between Ankara and Paris.
In return the Turkish Parliament is now preparing to debate a bill that would send people to prison if they deny the French massacred Algerians… Is this the way to get back at Chirac? Is this what mature people would do? If we take a step like this, do you think the people of France will be moved?
Wouldn't it be better to publish advertisements in France asking the French people what would happen if we passed such a law in Turkey, especially after President Chirac said the allegations that the French massacred Algerians should be left to the historians to judge?… Why not do the same for the claims that Armenians were massacred in eastern Turkey at the turn of the last century?
If France feels deep sympathies for the Armenians and if French politicians feel they desperately need the votes of the Armenians living in France, then they should not play the game sitting on the shoulders of Turks and take actions that actually hurt the Turkish nation. They can send massive aid to Armenia, where people are running away in the thousands and shrinking the population every year…
If French leaders are doing all this to antagonize Turkey and force it to give up its quest to join the European Union then we feel this is a losing game. If France does not want Turkey in the EU it should say so very openly.
If we are wrong then the French have to explain their current attitude in very open terms so that we understand their real motives and feelings.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
The new Anatolian
By Ilnur Cevik
The key place of France in the European Union which Turkey is trying to enter and its important place in the international community are undeniable realities that we all have to live with in Turkey.
France and Turkey were key allies for centuries during the Ottoman era. They respected and supported each other, despite the fact that one was a Christian empire in the heart of Europe and the other was the bastion of Islam.
The chill in Turco-French relations that prevailed in the 1980s was overcome by late President Francois Mitterand and then Prime Minister Turgut Ozal. Turkey's economic ties reached excellent levels, with the French being awarded lucrative Turkish state contracts from plane purchases to satellite systems.
Now we observe sadly that we are sliding back to the old days when our relations were frosty.
The French insistence on passing a law that would send people to prison for denying that Turks
massacred Armenians at the turn of the 20th century is really hurting the Turkish people on
all fronts. Just to add insult to injury, the fact that President Jacques Chirac recently paid
an official visit to Armenia and made more controversial statements further antagonized both the Turkish government and the people of our country.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has asked bluntly if he made statements in France denying Turks had massacred Armenians would the French authorities put him in prison… Turkish officials have jumped at the occasion to make fiery statements, which is further adding to the tensions between Ankara and Paris.
In return the Turkish Parliament is now preparing to debate a bill that would send people to prison if they deny the French massacred Algerians… Is this the way to get back at Chirac? Is this what mature people would do? If we take a step like this, do you think the people of France will be moved?
Wouldn't it be better to publish advertisements in France asking the French people what would happen if we passed such a law in Turkey, especially after President Chirac said the allegations that the French massacred Algerians should be left to the historians to judge?… Why not do the same for the claims that Armenians were massacred in eastern Turkey at the turn of the last century?
If France feels deep sympathies for the Armenians and if French politicians feel they desperately need the votes of the Armenians living in France, then they should not play the game sitting on the shoulders of Turks and take actions that actually hurt the Turkish nation. They can send massive aid to Armenia, where people are running away in the thousands and shrinking the population every year…
If French leaders are doing all this to antagonize Turkey and force it to give up its quest to join the European Union then we feel this is a losing game. If France does not want Turkey in the EU it should say so very openly.
If we are wrong then the French have to explain their current attitude in very open terms so that we understand their real motives and feelings.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
posted by Vahe Balabanian at 6:34 AM
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