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FRENCH DRAFT LAW ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ROCKS FRANCO-TURKISH RELATIONS
TIME
http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2012/01/24/french-draft-law-on-armenian-genocide-rocks-franco-turkish-relations/
Jan 24 2012
Anyone who hoped that calm and harmony might somehow prevail after
the passage of a French bill criminalizing denial of the 1915
genocide of Armenians by Ottoman Turks was mightily disappointed
Monday night. Adoption of that draft legislation by France's upper
house of parliament late Monday sparked immediate outrage and protest
from Turkey-and considerable concern about how that dispute might
impact an array of critical international issues. The resumed uproar
surrounding the pending French law means already strained relations
between France and Turkey are likely to decay even more in the coming
days and months-and at the very time when Ankara's role as a partner
with the European Union on hot topic dossiers like repression in
Syria and Iran's nuclear program is more important than ever.
The bill passed France's upper chamber Monday night in a 127 to 86
vote that crossed party lines-yet also united parliamentarians on
the left and right in opposition. That result sends the text towards
procedural clearance en route to becoming law, following its approval
by the lower house of parliament in December. The measure is worded
to criminalize and punish denial of any officially recognized genocide
with prison terms of up to a year, and fines of $59,000. But the fact
that a similar law particular to the Shoah has been in place since
1990 means the new bill's intent is to extend those penalties to
negation of the mass killing of Armenians by Turks nearly a century
ago as well-an event France officially recognized as genocide in
2001. Around 20 other nations categorize the slaying of what many
historians generally calculate was 1.5 million Armenians in 1915-16 as
genocide, though fewer have also criminalized its denial. Turkey has
steadfastly rejected that the killing of Armenians was systematic,
and says those victims-often cited as 300,000 to 500,000-were among
the many people caught up in violence arising from Ottoman Empire's
break-up at the end of World War I. Not surprisingly, the response
of the Turkish government, many of its citizens, and ethnic Turks
around the world was one of indignation and anger. Reiterating its
protests and threats when the measure passed France's lower house
in December, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying
"Turkey is committed to taking all the necessary steps against this
unjust disposition, which reduces basic human values and public
conscience to nothing." Officials in Ankara also indicated they'd
repeat their temporary December recall of Turkey's ambassador from
Paris, and move beyond already suspended political, military, and
economic activities with France towards sterner measures. "You can
also expect that diplomatic relations now will be at the level of
charges d'affaires not ambassadors anymore." Turkish Ambassador Tahsin
Burcuoglu told reporters in Paris after Monday's vote.
Still, by Tuesday morning, some evidence had arisen to suggest that
though Ankara will register its anger and opposition to the French bill
in no uncertain terms, Turkey may decide to stop short of engaging in
a full diplomatic battle with Paris. 'This is a re-emergence of the
mentality of the Middle Ages. History is not made in parliaments,"
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told legislators from his
AKP party Tuesday. "Our attitude will be one of reason and reserve,
we are still in a period of patience. We will plan our actions based
what happens next. Our sanctions will be step by step."
If Erdogan's comments seemed to clash with the more heated language
arising elsewhere in Turkey, he wasn't alone in sounding a different
note from the prevailing chorus. Though its backers in France
hailed the French text as a logical step in treating all officially
recognized genocides in the same legal manner, it drew considerable
opposition and criticism from other quarters. Ethicists, historians,
and legislators have all expressed unease at seeing a parliament
create legally binding analyses and definitions of historical events.
Jean-Pierre Sueur, a member of Socialist-dominated upper house of
parliament, challenged the bill with the view "it isn't the business
of the law, and especially criminal law, to interview in the field
of history and to rule in terms of historical truth."
Similarly, respected historian and Green party legislator Esther
Benbassa argued "this hastily slapped together law will neither
aid recognition of the Armenian genocide in Turkey, nor help bring
together the Armenian and Turkish people." But given Turkey's
unwavering rejection of the genocide-and its position that such
a definition is an inexcusable insult to the nation's honor-some
of the text's backers said it was necessary to give France's 2001
recognition of the Armenian genocide symbolic and legal sense in the
face of continuing denial of a tragic historical event. "The truth
is not always strong enough to conquer lies," Socialist legislator
Yannick Vaugrenard told his upper house peers.
Be that as it may, many politicians and observers in France derided the
push to pass the bill as a heavy-handed electoral ploy by President
Nicolas Sarkozy and his fellow conservatives to prop up their troubled
outlook heading into general elections next spring. Those skeptics
say the text is aimed at endearing Sarkozy and the right to France's
500,000-strong Armenian community-a claim Erdogan also nodded to in
responding to Monday's vote.
"We will not allow anyone to use Turkey for political mileage,"
Erdogan told legislators. "I am addressing French politicians,
intellectuals and the French people from here: this verdict is a
massacre of freedom of expression."
Though they didn't go quite that far in their analysis of its motives,
even some of Sarkozy's cabinet aired discomfort with the bill and
its possible consequences. During a Tuesday appearance on French TV
channel Canal Plus, Foreign Minister Alain Juppe lamented the vote as
"ill-timed"-a moderated echo of his reaction to the text in December
as "useless and counter-productive," and incapable to "change minds in
Turkey." But with the looming law nearly a done deal on Tuesday, Juppe
stressed the importance of France and Turkey to rise above the current
dispute and remain focused on wider, longer-term mutual objectives.
"We need good relations with (Turkey) and we need to get through this
excessive phase," Juppe said. "We have very important economic and
trade ties. I hope the reality of the situation will not be usurped
by emotions."
Juppe's position reflects his concern over geopolitical problems
France and the European Union are seeking to deal with-in part by
relying on Turkey's unique position as a bridge between Europe and
the Middle East. The push to pass a total EU embargo on Iranian oil
to increase pressure on Tehran to relinquish its nuclear development
program, for example, will need full Turkish support to have desired
impact. Meanwhile, Ankara's support is vital to international - and
European- efforts to force Damascus to end its bloody repression of
pro-democracy protesters. (Turkey shares a 900 km border with Syria;
it has hosted Syrian opposition leaders as well as defectors from
the Syrian army.). And despite the hot reaction of Turks generally
to Monday's French vote, Erdogan's manner of protesting the bill
seemed to indicate he isn't ready to throw the wider and more crucial
geopolitical baby out with the troubled bathwater of Franco-Turkish
relations.
"They are trying to woo votes by using enmity towards Turkey," Erdogan
commented. "The decision by the French Senate does not exist as far
as we are concerned."
-with reporting by Pelin Turgut/Istanbul
TIME
http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2012/01/24/french-draft-law-on-armenian-genocide-rocks-franco-turkish-relations/
Jan 24 2012
Anyone who hoped that calm and harmony might somehow prevail after
the passage of a French bill criminalizing denial of the 1915
genocide of Armenians by Ottoman Turks was mightily disappointed
Monday night. Adoption of that draft legislation by France's upper
house of parliament late Monday sparked immediate outrage and protest
from Turkey-and considerable concern about how that dispute might
impact an array of critical international issues. The resumed uproar
surrounding the pending French law means already strained relations
between France and Turkey are likely to decay even more in the coming
days and months-and at the very time when Ankara's role as a partner
with the European Union on hot topic dossiers like repression in
Syria and Iran's nuclear program is more important than ever.
The bill passed France's upper chamber Monday night in a 127 to 86
vote that crossed party lines-yet also united parliamentarians on
the left and right in opposition. That result sends the text towards
procedural clearance en route to becoming law, following its approval
by the lower house of parliament in December. The measure is worded
to criminalize and punish denial of any officially recognized genocide
with prison terms of up to a year, and fines of $59,000. But the fact
that a similar law particular to the Shoah has been in place since
1990 means the new bill's intent is to extend those penalties to
negation of the mass killing of Armenians by Turks nearly a century
ago as well-an event France officially recognized as genocide in
2001. Around 20 other nations categorize the slaying of what many
historians generally calculate was 1.5 million Armenians in 1915-16 as
genocide, though fewer have also criminalized its denial. Turkey has
steadfastly rejected that the killing of Armenians was systematic,
and says those victims-often cited as 300,000 to 500,000-were among
the many people caught up in violence arising from Ottoman Empire's
break-up at the end of World War I. Not surprisingly, the response
of the Turkish government, many of its citizens, and ethnic Turks
around the world was one of indignation and anger. Reiterating its
protests and threats when the measure passed France's lower house
in December, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying
"Turkey is committed to taking all the necessary steps against this
unjust disposition, which reduces basic human values and public
conscience to nothing." Officials in Ankara also indicated they'd
repeat their temporary December recall of Turkey's ambassador from
Paris, and move beyond already suspended political, military, and
economic activities with France towards sterner measures. "You can
also expect that diplomatic relations now will be at the level of
charges d'affaires not ambassadors anymore." Turkish Ambassador Tahsin
Burcuoglu told reporters in Paris after Monday's vote.
Still, by Tuesday morning, some evidence had arisen to suggest that
though Ankara will register its anger and opposition to the French bill
in no uncertain terms, Turkey may decide to stop short of engaging in
a full diplomatic battle with Paris. 'This is a re-emergence of the
mentality of the Middle Ages. History is not made in parliaments,"
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told legislators from his
AKP party Tuesday. "Our attitude will be one of reason and reserve,
we are still in a period of patience. We will plan our actions based
what happens next. Our sanctions will be step by step."
If Erdogan's comments seemed to clash with the more heated language
arising elsewhere in Turkey, he wasn't alone in sounding a different
note from the prevailing chorus. Though its backers in France
hailed the French text as a logical step in treating all officially
recognized genocides in the same legal manner, it drew considerable
opposition and criticism from other quarters. Ethicists, historians,
and legislators have all expressed unease at seeing a parliament
create legally binding analyses and definitions of historical events.
Jean-Pierre Sueur, a member of Socialist-dominated upper house of
parliament, challenged the bill with the view "it isn't the business
of the law, and especially criminal law, to interview in the field
of history and to rule in terms of historical truth."
Similarly, respected historian and Green party legislator Esther
Benbassa argued "this hastily slapped together law will neither
aid recognition of the Armenian genocide in Turkey, nor help bring
together the Armenian and Turkish people." But given Turkey's
unwavering rejection of the genocide-and its position that such
a definition is an inexcusable insult to the nation's honor-some
of the text's backers said it was necessary to give France's 2001
recognition of the Armenian genocide symbolic and legal sense in the
face of continuing denial of a tragic historical event. "The truth
is not always strong enough to conquer lies," Socialist legislator
Yannick Vaugrenard told his upper house peers.
Be that as it may, many politicians and observers in France derided the
push to pass the bill as a heavy-handed electoral ploy by President
Nicolas Sarkozy and his fellow conservatives to prop up their troubled
outlook heading into general elections next spring. Those skeptics
say the text is aimed at endearing Sarkozy and the right to France's
500,000-strong Armenian community-a claim Erdogan also nodded to in
responding to Monday's vote.
"We will not allow anyone to use Turkey for political mileage,"
Erdogan told legislators. "I am addressing French politicians,
intellectuals and the French people from here: this verdict is a
massacre of freedom of expression."
Though they didn't go quite that far in their analysis of its motives,
even some of Sarkozy's cabinet aired discomfort with the bill and
its possible consequences. During a Tuesday appearance on French TV
channel Canal Plus, Foreign Minister Alain Juppe lamented the vote as
"ill-timed"-a moderated echo of his reaction to the text in December
as "useless and counter-productive," and incapable to "change minds in
Turkey." But with the looming law nearly a done deal on Tuesday, Juppe
stressed the importance of France and Turkey to rise above the current
dispute and remain focused on wider, longer-term mutual objectives.
"We need good relations with (Turkey) and we need to get through this
excessive phase," Juppe said. "We have very important economic and
trade ties. I hope the reality of the situation will not be usurped
by emotions."
Juppe's position reflects his concern over geopolitical problems
France and the European Union are seeking to deal with-in part by
relying on Turkey's unique position as a bridge between Europe and
the Middle East. The push to pass a total EU embargo on Iranian oil
to increase pressure on Tehran to relinquish its nuclear development
program, for example, will need full Turkish support to have desired
impact. Meanwhile, Ankara's support is vital to international - and
European- efforts to force Damascus to end its bloody repression of
pro-democracy protesters. (Turkey shares a 900 km border with Syria;
it has hosted Syrian opposition leaders as well as defectors from
the Syrian army.). And despite the hot reaction of Turks generally
to Monday's French vote, Erdogan's manner of protesting the bill
seemed to indicate he isn't ready to throw the wider and more crucial
geopolitical baby out with the troubled bathwater of Franco-Turkish
relations.
"They are trying to woo votes by using enmity towards Turkey," Erdogan
commented. "The decision by the French Senate does not exist as far
as we are concerned."
-with reporting by Pelin Turgut/Istanbul