Turkish Parliament Condemns France
Fri, 20 Oct 2006 11:13:00
Paris Link
Gareth Cartman
The attempted passing of a law penalising the negation of the Armenian genocide between 1915 and 1917 has resulted in a furious reaction from the Turkish parliament. They backed a declaration condemning the Assemblée Nationale and a media boycott will ensue.
A furious Turkish parliament has issued a declaration condemning the Assemblée Nationale for having attempted to pass the law that would criminalise anyone who denied the Armenian genocide took place. The law, which was voted through parliament by a handful of Socialists - most MPs abstained - has caused a rift in French-Turkish relations that could result in the loss of potential money-spinning contracts.
Jacques Chirac attempted to heal the divide earlier in the week by apologising to Prime Minister Erdogan, but the parliament has insisted that some form of sanction should be applied to France until the law is taken fully off the agenda.
Mystifyingly, Yashar Yakish, Turkey's former foreign minister suggested that Turkey deport 70,000 Armenians from Turkey as punishment for France's attempted passing of the negation law. He claimed that Armenia should pay the price for France's behaviour. Approximately 500,000 Armenians live in France.
However, more immediate measure are being suggested in the media. The Turkish television watchdog this week recommended that French television programs and films should not be broadcast in Turkey. French broadcasting accounts for about ten percent of television output, while French films are relatively popular.
One of Turkey's leading consumer groups urged customers to boycott one French product per week, stating that it would publicise which product is being boycotted each week.
Turkey denies that it committed genocide against the Armenians between 1915 and 1917. According to Turkey, there were deaths, but nowhere near the figure stated by historians - and the use of the word genocide is exaggerated. They claim that as Armenians were evacuated, then continued to fight - and that losses were equal on both sides.
France has claimed that acknowledgement of genocide is a pre-requisite for Turkey's entry into the EU, which is looking less likely by the day after the Parliament's attempt to force through this law coupled with Turkey's riposte.
The law, however, will not see the light of day. The Senate is expected to defeat it, and if the law does make it through the Senate, President Jacques Chirac is already known not to be favourable, and will immediately annul it.
reactions@paris-link.com
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.
Paris Link
Gareth Cartman
The attempted passing of a law penalising the negation of the Armenian genocide between 1915 and 1917 has resulted in a furious reaction from the Turkish parliament. They backed a declaration condemning the Assemblée Nationale and a media boycott will ensue.
A furious Turkish parliament has issued a declaration condemning the Assemblée Nationale for having attempted to pass the law that would criminalise anyone who denied the Armenian genocide took place. The law, which was voted through parliament by a handful of Socialists - most MPs abstained - has caused a rift in French-Turkish relations that could result in the loss of potential money-spinning contracts.
Jacques Chirac attempted to heal the divide earlier in the week by apologising to Prime Minister Erdogan, but the parliament has insisted that some form of sanction should be applied to France until the law is taken fully off the agenda.
Mystifyingly, Yashar Yakish, Turkey's former foreign minister suggested that Turkey deport 70,000 Armenians from Turkey as punishment for France's attempted passing of the negation law. He claimed that Armenia should pay the price for France's behaviour. Approximately 500,000 Armenians live in France.
However, more immediate measure are being suggested in the media. The Turkish television watchdog this week recommended that French television programs and films should not be broadcast in Turkey. French broadcasting accounts for about ten percent of television output, while French films are relatively popular.
One of Turkey's leading consumer groups urged customers to boycott one French product per week, stating that it would publicise which product is being boycotted each week.
Turkey denies that it committed genocide against the Armenians between 1915 and 1917. According to Turkey, there were deaths, but nowhere near the figure stated by historians - and the use of the word genocide is exaggerated. They claim that as Armenians were evacuated, then continued to fight - and that losses were equal on both sides.
France has claimed that acknowledgement of genocide is a pre-requisite for Turkey's entry into the EU, which is looking less likely by the day after the Parliament's attempt to force through this law coupled with Turkey's riposte.
The law, however, will not see the light of day. The Senate is expected to defeat it, and if the law does make it through the Senate, President Jacques Chirac is already known not to be favourable, and will immediately annul it.
reactions@paris-link.com
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.
Labels: Genocide Denial Law
posted by Vahe Balabanian at 9:53 PM
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