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ERDOGAN ACCUSES FRANCE OF FASCISM AFTER PASSING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL
by Thomas Seibert and Colin Randall
The National
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/europe/erdogan-accuses-france-of-fascism-after-passing-armenian-genocide-bill
Jan 25 2012
UAE
Turkey reacted with fury yesterday to a French law making it illegal
to deny that a massacre of Armenians in 1915 was genocide.
Ankara refrained from immediate sanctions against its Nato ally but the
prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the "footsteps of fascism"
could be heard in Europe.
He slammed the French bill as an expression of a "mentality of the
Middle Ages" that violated European values, such as the freedom
of speech.
The French senate approved the law on Monday. The lower house did so
last month.
"The proposal adopted in France is tantamount to discrimination,
racism and a massacre of the freedom of thought," Mr Erdogan said.
"This bill is completely null and void for us."
The prime minister said his government had prepared a package of
sanctions if needed, but would not immediately retaliate. "We are
still in the phase of patience," he told the parliamentary group of
his ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP) in a televised speech. "We have not given
up hope."
The 127-86 senate vote means the law will take effect once the French
president, Nicolas Sarkozy, gives his official assent. However,
there are moves to assemble the 60 dissenting senators needed for a
challenge to
France's constitutional council on the ground that the measure would
breach the right to free expression.
Armenia and several other western countries, as well as international
experts, agree that the Ottoman Armenians were victims of genocide
in the final phase of the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and that up to 1.5
million members of the Christian minority were killed in massacres
and death marches.
France recognised the killings as genocide in 2001, but Turkey rejects
the term and says the deaths were the result of a relocation effort
under wartime conditions.
Possible sanctions against France include withdrawing the Turkish
ambassador, expelling the French ambassador from Ankara and closing
Turkey's harbours and airspace to French warships and warplanes.
Ministers have also raised the possibility of taking France to the
European Court of Human Rights.
While he did not announce concrete steps against France, Mr Erdogan's
speech contained sharp personal attacks against Mr Sarkozy, whom he
accused of trying "to collect votes with the help of enmity against
Turks".
In France, as in Turkey, there is suspicion that political calculations
played a part in Mr Sarkozy's strategy.
An estimated 600,000 French people are of Armenian origin. Mr
Sarkozy's critics say he may have been courting their support as he
approaches tricky presidential elections in April. Many Turks also
resent Mr Sarkozy for his strong opposition to Turkish entry into
the European Union.
Mr Erdogan said Mr Sarkozy's father was a descendant of Jews who
faced persecution in Spain in the 15th century and were taken in by
the Ottoman Empire.
The French vote was greeted with unanimous rejection in Turkey. Kemal
Kilicdaroglu, the opposition leader in Ankara, called the decision
a shame and said the government should take "decisive" action.
Referring to French abuses in Algeria, Devlet Bahceli, leader of the
right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said France should take
a look "at its own smelly history" before judging Turkey.
Despite the stinging rhetoric, Mr Erdogan's speech was likely to be
met with relief in France. Shortly before the Turkish prime minister
spoke, Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister who had argued against
the law, appealed to Ankara to remain calm.
Mr Juppe, speaking on Canal+ television yesterday, said he was sure
France and Turkey would rebuild a constructive relationship.
"We need Turkey, Turkey needs us, so I think that realism will prevail
over passion."
He said the rift was "excessive" and offered a hand of friendship to
Turkey, "this great country, this great political and economic power".
Engin Solakoglu, a spokesman at the Turkish embassy, said France was
"in the process of losing a strategic partner".
But some Turks have called on their country to face its past, arguing
that more openness about the events of 1915 would make Turkey less
vulnerable to crises such as this.
"If we go on defending instead of really understanding what happened
in 1915, we will continue to fall victim to opportunist idiots like
Sarkozy," Suat Kiniklioglu, a member of parliament for the AKP,
said on Twitter.
From: Baghdasarian
by Thomas Seibert and Colin Randall
The National
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/europe/erdogan-accuses-france-of-fascism-after-passing-armenian-genocide-bill
Jan 25 2012
UAE
Turkey reacted with fury yesterday to a French law making it illegal
to deny that a massacre of Armenians in 1915 was genocide.
Ankara refrained from immediate sanctions against its Nato ally but the
prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the "footsteps of fascism"
could be heard in Europe.
He slammed the French bill as an expression of a "mentality of the
Middle Ages" that violated European values, such as the freedom
of speech.
The French senate approved the law on Monday. The lower house did so
last month.
"The proposal adopted in France is tantamount to discrimination,
racism and a massacre of the freedom of thought," Mr Erdogan said.
"This bill is completely null and void for us."
The prime minister said his government had prepared a package of
sanctions if needed, but would not immediately retaliate. "We are
still in the phase of patience," he told the parliamentary group of
his ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP) in a televised speech. "We have not given
up hope."
The 127-86 senate vote means the law will take effect once the French
president, Nicolas Sarkozy, gives his official assent. However,
there are moves to assemble the 60 dissenting senators needed for a
challenge to
France's constitutional council on the ground that the measure would
breach the right to free expression.
Armenia and several other western countries, as well as international
experts, agree that the Ottoman Armenians were victims of genocide
in the final phase of the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and that up to 1.5
million members of the Christian minority were killed in massacres
and death marches.
France recognised the killings as genocide in 2001, but Turkey rejects
the term and says the deaths were the result of a relocation effort
under wartime conditions.
Possible sanctions against France include withdrawing the Turkish
ambassador, expelling the French ambassador from Ankara and closing
Turkey's harbours and airspace to French warships and warplanes.
Ministers have also raised the possibility of taking France to the
European Court of Human Rights.
While he did not announce concrete steps against France, Mr Erdogan's
speech contained sharp personal attacks against Mr Sarkozy, whom he
accused of trying "to collect votes with the help of enmity against
Turks".
In France, as in Turkey, there is suspicion that political calculations
played a part in Mr Sarkozy's strategy.
An estimated 600,000 French people are of Armenian origin. Mr
Sarkozy's critics say he may have been courting their support as he
approaches tricky presidential elections in April. Many Turks also
resent Mr Sarkozy for his strong opposition to Turkish entry into
the European Union.
Mr Erdogan said Mr Sarkozy's father was a descendant of Jews who
faced persecution in Spain in the 15th century and were taken in by
the Ottoman Empire.
The French vote was greeted with unanimous rejection in Turkey. Kemal
Kilicdaroglu, the opposition leader in Ankara, called the decision
a shame and said the government should take "decisive" action.
Referring to French abuses in Algeria, Devlet Bahceli, leader of the
right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said France should take
a look "at its own smelly history" before judging Turkey.
Despite the stinging rhetoric, Mr Erdogan's speech was likely to be
met with relief in France. Shortly before the Turkish prime minister
spoke, Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister who had argued against
the law, appealed to Ankara to remain calm.
Mr Juppe, speaking on Canal+ television yesterday, said he was sure
France and Turkey would rebuild a constructive relationship.
"We need Turkey, Turkey needs us, so I think that realism will prevail
over passion."
He said the rift was "excessive" and offered a hand of friendship to
Turkey, "this great country, this great political and economic power".
Engin Solakoglu, a spokesman at the Turkish embassy, said France was
"in the process of losing a strategic partner".
But some Turks have called on their country to face its past, arguing
that more openness about the events of 1915 would make Turkey less
vulnerable to crises such as this.
"If we go on defending instead of really understanding what happened
in 1915, we will continue to fall victim to opportunist idiots like
Sarkozy," Suat Kiniklioglu, a member of parliament for the AKP,
said on Twitter.
From: Baghdasarian