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Café Babel, France
Nov 10 2006
Turkey and France in conflict over Armenia
In France, denying the Armenian genocide could lead up to one year in
prison and a 45.000 fine
The recent award of the Nobel Literature Prize to Orhan Pamuk, and
the new law passed by the French national assembly making denial of
the Armenian genocide a crime, have brought this historical event
back into the limelight. The Turkish government is still recovering
from the shock. Their talk of imposing economic sanctions on French
companies does seem very European. They also warned that political
relations with Paris threaten to deteriorate if `hostilities do not
cease'.
In Turkey, acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide is a crime that
can lead to prison sentences, severe economic penalties, and
ostracism from Turkish society. In a recent interview, a journalist
from Turkish Daily News said that `many intellectuals and
communicators are still afraid to speak openly about these matters in
Turkey'. Some journalists and writers have been prosecuted, whilst
extreme right-wing groups have attacked, and even killed, a number of
journalists, lawyers and activists dedicated to freedom of expression
and to the promotion of human rights in Turkey. Many violent attacks
have never been investigated and violent groups enjoy relative
impunity thanks to their links with security forces.
European values
There is much talk about Turkey's `European-ness' and need to adapt
to the pace set by Brussels for its accession to the European Union.
If only the government in Ankara had the moral conscience post-war
Germany had, they would recognise facts which have been documented
and acknowledged by historians. Just as it is a crime to deny the
Holocaust in many countries, playing down or denying the Armenian
Genocide is an absolute absurdity in our world today.
It is estimated that between 1915 and 1921 around 2 million Armenians
died at the hands of the Turkish security forces and army. The
Armenians, like the Jews after them, were accused by the Turks of
being in league with those who wanted to see Turkey destroyed. They
were accused of being "Russian agents" and paid for this with their
lives.
European leaders need to be more courageous and emphatic when
defending Europe's democratic values in Ankara, because it is these
principles which are at the heart of the European project. Without
values or moral principles to ensure the defence of democracy, there
is not, and neither can there be, a unified Europe. The economic
advantages which the enormous Turkish market presents for Europe
should not be the only factor determining their attitude towards
Turkey.
To deny the Armenian Genocide, a tragedy recorded by many Europeans
such as the philosopher Antonio Gramsci or the historian Arnold
Toynbee, would be a return to the `radical evil' postulated by
another European thinker, Hannah Arendt, in her early writings. This
"forgetting" is the result of a reflexive, voluntary and entirely
purposeful attempt to erase all traces of the truth.
Overview: EU stances on Turkey
With the EU progress reports on Turkey coming out this week, the
country is in the spotlight. Where do the EU members stand on its
membership bid?
Roughly there are three groups. Those who are in favour of Turkish
entry, those who are against and those who are stuck in the middle.
The United Kingdom and Finland are two countries in favour of Turkish
membership. The Finnish Presidency has for months been engaging in
´sauna diplomacy´, trying to find a solution to the problem of
Cyprus, that is to say the opening of Turkish ports and harbours to
Cypriot ships and planes. In December the Council is expected to say
whether or not Turkey has made sufficient progress on this issue, but
Commission President Barroso has stated he expects trouble ahead.
France and Germany are against. In Germany, the coalition government
is split, with the SPD in favour of membership and the CDU in favour
of a ´privileged partnership´ with Turkey, stopping short of full
membership. In France, elections are upcoming. The likely candidate
for the right, Nicolas Sarkozy, is against Turkish membership As for
the left, it is still unclear, but it was the Socialist party which
introduced a bill making it a crime to deny that Armenians suffered
genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks after the first world war.
France will have a referendum on Turkish membership before
negotiations are concluded.
Others, mostly the new member states, seem undecided. Poland, while
inclined to listen to Pope Benedict´s claim that Turkey is perhaps
not culturally a part of Europe , is demanding fair treatment of
candidate states, Turkey among them.
Pim de Kuijer - Amsterdam
http://www.cafebabel.com/en/article.asp?T=T& Id=8726
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Nov 10 2006
Turkey and France in conflict over Armenia
In France, denying the Armenian genocide could lead up to one year in
prison and a 45.000 fine
The recent award of the Nobel Literature Prize to Orhan Pamuk, and
the new law passed by the French national assembly making denial of
the Armenian genocide a crime, have brought this historical event
back into the limelight. The Turkish government is still recovering
from the shock. Their talk of imposing economic sanctions on French
companies does seem very European. They also warned that political
relations with Paris threaten to deteriorate if `hostilities do not
cease'.
In Turkey, acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide is a crime that
can lead to prison sentences, severe economic penalties, and
ostracism from Turkish society. In a recent interview, a journalist
from Turkish Daily News said that `many intellectuals and
communicators are still afraid to speak openly about these matters in
Turkey'. Some journalists and writers have been prosecuted, whilst
extreme right-wing groups have attacked, and even killed, a number of
journalists, lawyers and activists dedicated to freedom of expression
and to the promotion of human rights in Turkey. Many violent attacks
have never been investigated and violent groups enjoy relative
impunity thanks to their links with security forces.
European values
There is much talk about Turkey's `European-ness' and need to adapt
to the pace set by Brussels for its accession to the European Union.
If only the government in Ankara had the moral conscience post-war
Germany had, they would recognise facts which have been documented
and acknowledged by historians. Just as it is a crime to deny the
Holocaust in many countries, playing down or denying the Armenian
Genocide is an absolute absurdity in our world today.
It is estimated that between 1915 and 1921 around 2 million Armenians
died at the hands of the Turkish security forces and army. The
Armenians, like the Jews after them, were accused by the Turks of
being in league with those who wanted to see Turkey destroyed. They
were accused of being "Russian agents" and paid for this with their
lives.
European leaders need to be more courageous and emphatic when
defending Europe's democratic values in Ankara, because it is these
principles which are at the heart of the European project. Without
values or moral principles to ensure the defence of democracy, there
is not, and neither can there be, a unified Europe. The economic
advantages which the enormous Turkish market presents for Europe
should not be the only factor determining their attitude towards
Turkey.
To deny the Armenian Genocide, a tragedy recorded by many Europeans
such as the philosopher Antonio Gramsci or the historian Arnold
Toynbee, would be a return to the `radical evil' postulated by
another European thinker, Hannah Arendt, in her early writings. This
"forgetting" is the result of a reflexive, voluntary and entirely
purposeful attempt to erase all traces of the truth.
Overview: EU stances on Turkey
With the EU progress reports on Turkey coming out this week, the
country is in the spotlight. Where do the EU members stand on its
membership bid?
Roughly there are three groups. Those who are in favour of Turkish
entry, those who are against and those who are stuck in the middle.
The United Kingdom and Finland are two countries in favour of Turkish
membership. The Finnish Presidency has for months been engaging in
´sauna diplomacy´, trying to find a solution to the problem of
Cyprus, that is to say the opening of Turkish ports and harbours to
Cypriot ships and planes. In December the Council is expected to say
whether or not Turkey has made sufficient progress on this issue, but
Commission President Barroso has stated he expects trouble ahead.
France and Germany are against. In Germany, the coalition government
is split, with the SPD in favour of membership and the CDU in favour
of a ´privileged partnership´ with Turkey, stopping short of full
membership. In France, elections are upcoming. The likely candidate
for the right, Nicolas Sarkozy, is against Turkish membership As for
the left, it is still unclear, but it was the Socialist party which
introduced a bill making it a crime to deny that Armenians suffered
genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks after the first world war.
France will have a referendum on Turkish membership before
negotiations are concluded.
Others, mostly the new member states, seem undecided. Poland, while
inclined to listen to Pope Benedict´s claim that Turkey is perhaps
not culturally a part of Europe , is demanding fair treatment of
candidate states, Turkey among them.
Pim de Kuijer - Amsterdam
http://www.cafebabel.com/en/article.asp?T=T& Id=8726
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress