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TURKEY CALLS ON SARKOZY TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR ON HISTORY CONTROVERSY
AZG DAILY
16-12-2011
According to Turkish Zaman, in harsh response to recent remarks by
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who called on Turkey to face its
history and recognize the 1915 massacre of Armenians as genocide,
Turkey said on Friday that France should look in the mirror before
asking Turkey to revisit its history.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters after his meeting
with Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) on the
country's foreign policy that he finds Sarkozy's remarks as an example
of "political populism." He said his statements were wrong and were
aimed for [France's] domestic politics. ... Any state or society who
has a colonial past and cannot face its own history does not have the
right to give lessons to Turkey. Those who want Turkey face its history
should look into mirror," the minister said. Sarkozy on Thursday urged
Turkey to recognize the 1915 incidents as genocide, threatening to
pass a law in France that would make denying this a crime.
"The Armenian genocide is a historical reality. Collective denial is
even worse than individual denial," Sarkozy told reporters.
"Turkey, which is a great country, would honor itself to revisit
its history like other great countries in the world have done,"
the French president added. On Friday, Sarkozy made further comments
on the issue, calling Turkey to "make a gesture of reconciliation,"
and warning that if Turkey refrained from taking any steps, France
would consider amending its legislation to penalize denial, Reuters
reported. Sarkozy did not give a date for such a move, but noted that
measures could be adopted "in a very brief time."
Turkey's Minister for European Union Affairs Egemen BagıÅ~_ was also
highly critical of Sarkozy's remarks and called on the French president
to "think over how he would save his country from the economic turmoil
it has fallen into instead of assuming the role of historians."
BagıÅ~_ told reporters in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he has been
for an official visit, that his remarks show that Sarkozy is concerned
about recent polls in his country, which show less support for him
in the upcoming presidential elections. "This can only be called the
exploitation of the upcoming elections. We can make no other comment,"
he said.
AZG DAILY
16-12-2011
According to Turkish Zaman, in harsh response to recent remarks by
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who called on Turkey to face its
history and recognize the 1915 massacre of Armenians as genocide,
Turkey said on Friday that France should look in the mirror before
asking Turkey to revisit its history.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters after his meeting
with Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) on the
country's foreign policy that he finds Sarkozy's remarks as an example
of "political populism." He said his statements were wrong and were
aimed for [France's] domestic politics. ... Any state or society who
has a colonial past and cannot face its own history does not have the
right to give lessons to Turkey. Those who want Turkey face its history
should look into mirror," the minister said. Sarkozy on Thursday urged
Turkey to recognize the 1915 incidents as genocide, threatening to
pass a law in France that would make denying this a crime.
"The Armenian genocide is a historical reality. Collective denial is
even worse than individual denial," Sarkozy told reporters.
"Turkey, which is a great country, would honor itself to revisit
its history like other great countries in the world have done,"
the French president added. On Friday, Sarkozy made further comments
on the issue, calling Turkey to "make a gesture of reconciliation,"
and warning that if Turkey refrained from taking any steps, France
would consider amending its legislation to penalize denial, Reuters
reported. Sarkozy did not give a date for such a move, but noted that
measures could be adopted "in a very brief time."
Turkey's Minister for European Union Affairs Egemen BagıÅ~_ was also
highly critical of Sarkozy's remarks and called on the French president
to "think over how he would save his country from the economic turmoil
it has fallen into instead of assuming the role of historians."
BagıÅ~_ told reporters in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he has been
for an official visit, that his remarks show that Sarkozy is concerned
about recent polls in his country, which show less support for him
in the upcoming presidential elections. "This can only be called the
exploitation of the upcoming elections. We can make no other comment,"
he said.