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Newropeans Magazine, France
April 20 2005
New pressures on Turkey ...
Written by Elodie Boussonnière
Negotiations on Turley's accession to the EU is about to start and
leaders of the 25 EU members are expected to give their approbation
to begin talks with Ankara as early as October 2005. Turkey needs to
prepare itself for tough discussions as various delicate questions
such as the "so-called Armenian" issue will undoubtedly be raised.
Indeed, various EU member states, mainly France, affirmed the
Armenian issue will certainly be part of the essential questions
asked during the negotiations process but will not be a pre-condition
for accession into the EU.
As Armenia is preparing the upcoming 90th anniversary of the WWI
tragedy on the 24th of April 2005, French Foreign Minister Michel
Barnier raises the question of the "so-called Armenian genocide". He
demands Turkey to recognize the massacre of more than 1, 5 million
Armenians during the final years of the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to
1917 as genocide. "Turkey has a duty to remember" he says and talking
about the Armenian question "it is a question that we will raise in
the course of negotiations, and we have around 10 years to raise it."
As many commentators alleged, France's position on this question is
also supported by the leaders of the large Armenian community living
in France (approximately 400 000 people). In this respect, the
attitude of France has been interpreted by many EU politicians and by
Turkey as an excuse of France to delay Turkey's negotiations and to
confirm its reluctance in admitting Turkey into the EU. For the
record, only 38% of Frenchmen and women would be in favor of a
European enlargement towards Turkey.
France is not the only country which has officially recognized the
death of millions of Armenians during the First World War as genocide
(French Parliament voted in 2001 and officially qualified the
"Armenian" tragedy as genocide). Indeed, 14 other nations have
recognized the slaughtering of Ottoman Armenians as a "policy of
extermination" of Turkey during the WWI, among them Russia, Lebanon,
Uruguay, and Switzerland, Greece and Canada (and some US states).
Ankara will not bow...
>>From Ankara, the whole story does not sound quit the same as in
Europe and elsewhere. On the 7th of April 2005, Foreign minister
Abdullah Gul affirmed Turkey is very clear about its position on the
problem and "has never and will never recognize any so-called
genocide". The minister also refuted accusations and declared "What
needs to be done is research, investigate and discuss history, based
on documents and without prejudice, the basis of such discussions
should be scientific and not political". Mr. Gul also said the
pressures on Turkey were high and should not be taken into account
during the EU negotiations process. He also mentioned the very
developed and organized campaigns set up in Armenia and in Europe to
"discredit Turkey".
According to the general opinion, Turkey has no attention whatsoever
to bow to the pressures of the European Union and admit that the
million Armenians deaths was the tragic result of Turkish's policies
during the war. Ahmet Necdet Sezer, the Turkish President said "It is
wrong and unjust for our European friends to press Turkey on these
issues...these claims upset and hurt the feelings of the Turkish
nation". Ankara has also pointed out that many Muslims, mainly Turks
and Kurds were killed during the same years.
As for Armenia, which borders Turkey to the North, political leaders
say they will continue their claims to seek for international
recognition of the Armenian slaughter. The Armenian issue is a
long-lasting problem between Turkey and Armenia; therefore, Mr.
Abdullah Gul invited Armenia to create a joint commission of
historians and specialists of both countries which will determine
whether the events can be qualified as genocide or not. So far,
Armenia has not replied to the Turkish invitation.
--Boundary_(ID_sZvJRoUyCshWm85NSqRGyg)--
April 20 2005
New pressures on Turkey ...
Written by Elodie Boussonnière
Negotiations on Turley's accession to the EU is about to start and
leaders of the 25 EU members are expected to give their approbation
to begin talks with Ankara as early as October 2005. Turkey needs to
prepare itself for tough discussions as various delicate questions
such as the "so-called Armenian" issue will undoubtedly be raised.
Indeed, various EU member states, mainly France, affirmed the
Armenian issue will certainly be part of the essential questions
asked during the negotiations process but will not be a pre-condition
for accession into the EU.
As Armenia is preparing the upcoming 90th anniversary of the WWI
tragedy on the 24th of April 2005, French Foreign Minister Michel
Barnier raises the question of the "so-called Armenian genocide". He
demands Turkey to recognize the massacre of more than 1, 5 million
Armenians during the final years of the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to
1917 as genocide. "Turkey has a duty to remember" he says and talking
about the Armenian question "it is a question that we will raise in
the course of negotiations, and we have around 10 years to raise it."
As many commentators alleged, France's position on this question is
also supported by the leaders of the large Armenian community living
in France (approximately 400 000 people). In this respect, the
attitude of France has been interpreted by many EU politicians and by
Turkey as an excuse of France to delay Turkey's negotiations and to
confirm its reluctance in admitting Turkey into the EU. For the
record, only 38% of Frenchmen and women would be in favor of a
European enlargement towards Turkey.
France is not the only country which has officially recognized the
death of millions of Armenians during the First World War as genocide
(French Parliament voted in 2001 and officially qualified the
"Armenian" tragedy as genocide). Indeed, 14 other nations have
recognized the slaughtering of Ottoman Armenians as a "policy of
extermination" of Turkey during the WWI, among them Russia, Lebanon,
Uruguay, and Switzerland, Greece and Canada (and some US states).
Ankara will not bow...
>>From Ankara, the whole story does not sound quit the same as in
Europe and elsewhere. On the 7th of April 2005, Foreign minister
Abdullah Gul affirmed Turkey is very clear about its position on the
problem and "has never and will never recognize any so-called
genocide". The minister also refuted accusations and declared "What
needs to be done is research, investigate and discuss history, based
on documents and without prejudice, the basis of such discussions
should be scientific and not political". Mr. Gul also said the
pressures on Turkey were high and should not be taken into account
during the EU negotiations process. He also mentioned the very
developed and organized campaigns set up in Armenia and in Europe to
"discredit Turkey".
According to the general opinion, Turkey has no attention whatsoever
to bow to the pressures of the European Union and admit that the
million Armenians deaths was the tragic result of Turkish's policies
during the war. Ahmet Necdet Sezer, the Turkish President said "It is
wrong and unjust for our European friends to press Turkey on these
issues...these claims upset and hurt the feelings of the Turkish
nation". Ankara has also pointed out that many Muslims, mainly Turks
and Kurds were killed during the same years.
As for Armenia, which borders Turkey to the North, political leaders
say they will continue their claims to seek for international
recognition of the Armenian slaughter. The Armenian issue is a
long-lasting problem between Turkey and Armenia; therefore, Mr.
Abdullah Gul invited Armenia to create a joint commission of
historians and specialists of both countries which will determine
whether the events can be qualified as genocide or not. So far,
Armenia has not replied to the Turkish invitation.
--Boundary_(ID_sZvJRoUyCshWm85NSqRGyg)--