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TURKEY RECALLS AMBASSADOR AFTER FRENCH BILL MAKES IT A CRIME TO DENY MASS KILLING OF ARMENIANS IN 1915 BY OTTOMAN EMPIRE WAS GENOCIDE
Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2077584/Turkey-recalls-ambassador-France-passes-making-crime-deny-mass-killing-Armenians-1915-Ottoman-Empire-genocide.html?ITO=1490
Dec 22 2011
UK
- Ambassador Tahsin Burcuoglu will leave Paris tomorrow in protest at
the passing of the bill - Under the law, people denying 1915 killings
of 1.5million Armenians were genocide would face a year in jail and
fine of ~@45,000. - Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan describes bill as
racist and discriminatory - Turkey is a vital Nato ally for France
and could block French military from using airbases and ports
By Wil Longbottom
Turkey has reacted with fury after French MPs passed a bill that would
make it a crime in France to deny that mass killing of Armenians in
1915 by Ottoman Turks was genocide. The Turkish ambassador in Paris,
Tahsin Burcuoglu, has been recalled in protest after the bill sailed
through the National Assembly with a large majority this afternoon.
Ankara had also promised 'grave consequences' in terms of political,
economic and military assistance between the two countries if the
legislation went ahead.
Turkey vehemently rejects the term 'genocide' for the World War One-era
mass killings of Armenians. It claims that France is blocking freedom
of expression and says President Nicolas Sarkozy is on a vote-getting
mission ahead of April presidential elections. Under the bill, those
publicly denying it was genocide would face a year in jail and fine
of ~@45,000. Armenia says up to 1.5million people were killed by
the Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1916.
Turkey refutes this and says the number is closer to 300,000, and
that Turks were also killed as Armenia rose up against the Ottoman
Empire. An estimated half a million Armenians live in France and
many have pressed to raise the legal statute regarding the massacres
to the same level as the Holocaust by punishing denial of genocide.
France formally recognised the killings as genocide in 2001 and more
than 20 countries have done the same.
The bill's author, Valerie Boyer, said: 'My bill doesn't aim at any
particular country. 'It is inspired by European law, which says
that the people who deny the existence of the genocides must be
sanctioned.' Jean-Christophe Lagarde, a deputy from the New Center
party, said: 'Laws voted in this chamber cannot be dictated by Ankara.'
Protests have taken place outside the National Assembly and in Turkey.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan described the bill, passed by
France's lower house of parliament, as racist, discriminatory and
xenophobic and said it had opened wounds that would be difficult
to heal. Earlier this month, he recalled French colonial history
in Algeria and a 1945 massacre there, as well as its role in Rwanda
in 1994. 'Those who do not want to see genocide should turn around
and look at their own dirty and bloody history,' he said.
'Turkey will stand against this intentional, malicious, unjust and
illegal attempt through all kinds of diplomatic means.'
The Turkish government said Mr Burcuoglu will leave France on Friday
and further measures will be announced, including the cancelling of
all economic, political and military meetings. France and Turkey
are Nato partners and the move could see French planes barred from
landing in Turkey.
In October, Mr Sarkozy visited Armenia and its capital of Yerevan,
urging Turkey to recognize the 1915 killings as genocide.
'Turkey, which is a great country, would honor itself by revisiting its
history like other countries in the world have done,' Mr Sarkozy said.
France, however, took its own time recognizing the state's role in the
Holocaust. It was not until 1995 that then-President Jacques Chirac
proclaimed France's active role in sending its citizens to death camps.
And it was only in 2009 that his historic declaration was formally
recognized in a ruling by France's top body, the Council of State.
--------- Box -------
THE ARMENIAN 'PROBLEM': HOW OTTOMAN TURKS COMMITTED THE FIRST MODERN
GENOCIDE The killing of 1.5million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks
during World War I remains one of the bloodiest and most contentious
events of the 20th century, and has been called the first modern
genocide. In all, 25 concentration camps were set up in a systematic
slaughter aimed at eradicating the Armenian people - classed as
'vermin' by the Turks. Winston Churchill described the massacres as
an 'administrative holocaust' and noted: 'This crime was planned and
executed for political reasons. The opportunity presented itself for
clearing Turkish soil of a Christian race.'
And just as Hitler wanted a Nazi-dominated world cleansed of its Jews,
so in 1914 the Ottoman Empire wanted to construct a Muslim empire
that would stretch from Istanbul to Manchuria. Armenia, an ancient
Christian civilisation spreading out from the eastern end of the Black
Sea, stood in its way. At the turn of the 20th century, there were
2million Christian Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire. Already,
200,000 had been killed in a series of pogroms - most of them brutally
between 1894 and 1896. In November 1914, the Ottoman Empire entered
World War I against the Allies and launched a disastrous military
campaign against Russian forces in the Caucasus. It blamed defeat
on the Armenians, claiming they had colluded with the Russians.
During the final months of 1914, the Ottoman government put together
a number of Special Organisation units, armed gangs of thousands
of convicts specifically released from prison for the purpose.
These killing squads committed the greatest crimes in the genocide.
On the night of April 24, 1915 - an anniversary marked by Armenians
around the world - the Ottoman government arrested 250 Armenian
intellectuals. This was followed by the arrest of a further 2,000.
Some died from torture in custody; many were executed in public places.
Between May and August 1915, the Armenian population of the eastern
provinces was deported and murdered en masse. In four days alone,
from 10-14 June 1915, the gangs 'eliminated' some 25,000 people in
the Kemah Erzincan area. By 1917, the Armenian 'problem', as Ottoman
leaders called it, had been 'resolved'. Muslim families were brought
in to occupy empty villages. Even after the war, Ottoman ministers
were unrepentant. In 1920, they praised those responsible for the
genocide, saying: 'These things were done to secure the future of our
homeland, which we know is greater and holier than even our own lives.'
Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2077584/Turkey-recalls-ambassador-France-passes-making-crime-deny-mass-killing-Armenians-1915-Ottoman-Empire-genocide.html?ITO=1490
Dec 22 2011
UK
- Ambassador Tahsin Burcuoglu will leave Paris tomorrow in protest at
the passing of the bill - Under the law, people denying 1915 killings
of 1.5million Armenians were genocide would face a year in jail and
fine of ~@45,000. - Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan describes bill as
racist and discriminatory - Turkey is a vital Nato ally for France
and could block French military from using airbases and ports
By Wil Longbottom
Turkey has reacted with fury after French MPs passed a bill that would
make it a crime in France to deny that mass killing of Armenians in
1915 by Ottoman Turks was genocide. The Turkish ambassador in Paris,
Tahsin Burcuoglu, has been recalled in protest after the bill sailed
through the National Assembly with a large majority this afternoon.
Ankara had also promised 'grave consequences' in terms of political,
economic and military assistance between the two countries if the
legislation went ahead.
Turkey vehemently rejects the term 'genocide' for the World War One-era
mass killings of Armenians. It claims that France is blocking freedom
of expression and says President Nicolas Sarkozy is on a vote-getting
mission ahead of April presidential elections. Under the bill, those
publicly denying it was genocide would face a year in jail and fine
of ~@45,000. Armenia says up to 1.5million people were killed by
the Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1916.
Turkey refutes this and says the number is closer to 300,000, and
that Turks were also killed as Armenia rose up against the Ottoman
Empire. An estimated half a million Armenians live in France and
many have pressed to raise the legal statute regarding the massacres
to the same level as the Holocaust by punishing denial of genocide.
France formally recognised the killings as genocide in 2001 and more
than 20 countries have done the same.
The bill's author, Valerie Boyer, said: 'My bill doesn't aim at any
particular country. 'It is inspired by European law, which says
that the people who deny the existence of the genocides must be
sanctioned.' Jean-Christophe Lagarde, a deputy from the New Center
party, said: 'Laws voted in this chamber cannot be dictated by Ankara.'
Protests have taken place outside the National Assembly and in Turkey.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan described the bill, passed by
France's lower house of parliament, as racist, discriminatory and
xenophobic and said it had opened wounds that would be difficult
to heal. Earlier this month, he recalled French colonial history
in Algeria and a 1945 massacre there, as well as its role in Rwanda
in 1994. 'Those who do not want to see genocide should turn around
and look at their own dirty and bloody history,' he said.
'Turkey will stand against this intentional, malicious, unjust and
illegal attempt through all kinds of diplomatic means.'
The Turkish government said Mr Burcuoglu will leave France on Friday
and further measures will be announced, including the cancelling of
all economic, political and military meetings. France and Turkey
are Nato partners and the move could see French planes barred from
landing in Turkey.
In October, Mr Sarkozy visited Armenia and its capital of Yerevan,
urging Turkey to recognize the 1915 killings as genocide.
'Turkey, which is a great country, would honor itself by revisiting its
history like other countries in the world have done,' Mr Sarkozy said.
France, however, took its own time recognizing the state's role in the
Holocaust. It was not until 1995 that then-President Jacques Chirac
proclaimed France's active role in sending its citizens to death camps.
And it was only in 2009 that his historic declaration was formally
recognized in a ruling by France's top body, the Council of State.
--------- Box -------
THE ARMENIAN 'PROBLEM': HOW OTTOMAN TURKS COMMITTED THE FIRST MODERN
GENOCIDE The killing of 1.5million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks
during World War I remains one of the bloodiest and most contentious
events of the 20th century, and has been called the first modern
genocide. In all, 25 concentration camps were set up in a systematic
slaughter aimed at eradicating the Armenian people - classed as
'vermin' by the Turks. Winston Churchill described the massacres as
an 'administrative holocaust' and noted: 'This crime was planned and
executed for political reasons. The opportunity presented itself for
clearing Turkish soil of a Christian race.'
And just as Hitler wanted a Nazi-dominated world cleansed of its Jews,
so in 1914 the Ottoman Empire wanted to construct a Muslim empire
that would stretch from Istanbul to Manchuria. Armenia, an ancient
Christian civilisation spreading out from the eastern end of the Black
Sea, stood in its way. At the turn of the 20th century, there were
2million Christian Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire. Already,
200,000 had been killed in a series of pogroms - most of them brutally
between 1894 and 1896. In November 1914, the Ottoman Empire entered
World War I against the Allies and launched a disastrous military
campaign against Russian forces in the Caucasus. It blamed defeat
on the Armenians, claiming they had colluded with the Russians.
During the final months of 1914, the Ottoman government put together
a number of Special Organisation units, armed gangs of thousands
of convicts specifically released from prison for the purpose.
These killing squads committed the greatest crimes in the genocide.
On the night of April 24, 1915 - an anniversary marked by Armenians
around the world - the Ottoman government arrested 250 Armenian
intellectuals. This was followed by the arrest of a further 2,000.
Some died from torture in custody; many were executed in public places.
Between May and August 1915, the Armenian population of the eastern
provinces was deported and murdered en masse. In four days alone,
from 10-14 June 1915, the gangs 'eliminated' some 25,000 people in
the Kemah Erzincan area. By 1917, the Armenian 'problem', as Ottoman
leaders called it, had been 'resolved'. Muslim families were brought
in to occupy empty villages. Even after the war, Ottoman ministers
were unrepentant. In 1920, they praised those responsible for the
genocide, saying: 'These things were done to secure the future of our
homeland, which we know is greater and holier than even our own lives.'