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FRENCH VOTE STRAINS ALREADY TESTY FRENCH-TURKISH TIES
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Dec 22 2011
Germany
Dec. 22--PARIS -- Relations between France and Turkey were further
strained Thursday after French parliamentarians backed a bill that
makes it a crime to deny that Armenians suffered a genocide at the
hands of Ottoman Turks a century ago.
French parliamentarians from across the political spectrum defied
threats of diplomatic and economic sanctions in backing the bill that
punishes people who deny genocides by a year in prison and a fine of
45,000 euros.
France recognizes two events as genocides: The Nazi Holocaust of
Jews during World War II and the mass killings of Armenians in
Ottoman-controlled eastern Turkey during World War I.
The French already have a law punishing Holocaust denial.
Putting denial of the Armenian genocide into the same league has been
like a red rag to Turkey.
Turkey admits more than 300,000 Armenians perished between 1915
and 1918 but categorically rejects there was a genocide, saying
the killings were caused by unrest following the Soviet invasion of
eastern Turkey.
About two dozen countries have termed the killings genocide, but
Switzerland is the only known country to have prosecuted someone for
challenging the genocide label.
Turkey, which is still smarting over French President Nicolas Sarkozy's
refusal to countenance Turkey joining the European Union, has accused
the French of stifling freedom of speech.
"France has trampled on the principles of its own revolution: Liberty,
equality and fraternity," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
said Thursday, announcing he was recalling the Turkish ambassador to
France and cancelling all military, political, economic and educational
exchanges among a raft of punitive measures.
Coming just as Franco-Turkish relations were enjoying a thaw, the
timing of the bill has raised questions about Sarkozy's motives.
Turkey accuses Sarkozy of a political stunt.
France has a small but influential Armenian diaspora of about half a
million people, who are being wooed from all sides in the run-up to
next year's presidential and parliamentary elections.
Some prominent members of the Franco-Armenian community include singer
Charles Aznavour, former football international Youri Djorkaeff and
Patrick Devedjian, an parliamentarian with Sarkozy's ruling Union
for a Popular Movement (UMP).
Before becoming president in 2007, Sarkozy promised the Armenian
community he would push through legislation criminalizing genocide
denial.
But the opposition Socialists stole a march on the UMP by proposing
the first such bill, which was passed by the Assembly in 2006.
That bill was rejected by the Senate in May this year, when it was
still controlled by Sarkozy's party.
In having his party put forward a new, slightly modified text, Sarkozy
"kept his promise" to Armenians, according to Devedjian.
But not everyone approved of Sarkozy's gamble vis-a-vis France's
third-biggest trading partner outside the EU.
Le Monde newspaper criticized the bill as setting back the clock
on months of efforts by the Foreign Ministry to improve relations
with Turkey.
"France could find itself offside in the eyes of a strategic Turkish
partner," which was being "amply courted by the United States and
whose support is necessary to convince the Syrian regime to stop
massacring its opponents," the paper said.
A Turkish embassy spokesman warned France against underestimating
Turkey. "The Turkey of 2011 is not the Turkey of 2001," Engin Solakoglu
told dpa.
France's European affairs minister, Jean Leonetti, was dismissive of
Turkey's rumblings, calling them "empty threats."
"France is convinced that it doesn't risk much in provoking Turkey,"
Alican Tayla, a researcher with the Institute for International and
Stategic Relations in Paris, told dpa.
"A real lasting crisis would isolate Turkey more than France,"
Tayla predicted.
Erdogan took a different view. For the combative Turkish leader
the vote was "unfortunate for Turkey, but it is a bigger misfortune
for France."
From: Baghdasarian
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Dec 22 2011
Germany
Dec. 22--PARIS -- Relations between France and Turkey were further
strained Thursday after French parliamentarians backed a bill that
makes it a crime to deny that Armenians suffered a genocide at the
hands of Ottoman Turks a century ago.
French parliamentarians from across the political spectrum defied
threats of diplomatic and economic sanctions in backing the bill that
punishes people who deny genocides by a year in prison and a fine of
45,000 euros.
France recognizes two events as genocides: The Nazi Holocaust of
Jews during World War II and the mass killings of Armenians in
Ottoman-controlled eastern Turkey during World War I.
The French already have a law punishing Holocaust denial.
Putting denial of the Armenian genocide into the same league has been
like a red rag to Turkey.
Turkey admits more than 300,000 Armenians perished between 1915
and 1918 but categorically rejects there was a genocide, saying
the killings were caused by unrest following the Soviet invasion of
eastern Turkey.
About two dozen countries have termed the killings genocide, but
Switzerland is the only known country to have prosecuted someone for
challenging the genocide label.
Turkey, which is still smarting over French President Nicolas Sarkozy's
refusal to countenance Turkey joining the European Union, has accused
the French of stifling freedom of speech.
"France has trampled on the principles of its own revolution: Liberty,
equality and fraternity," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
said Thursday, announcing he was recalling the Turkish ambassador to
France and cancelling all military, political, economic and educational
exchanges among a raft of punitive measures.
Coming just as Franco-Turkish relations were enjoying a thaw, the
timing of the bill has raised questions about Sarkozy's motives.
Turkey accuses Sarkozy of a political stunt.
France has a small but influential Armenian diaspora of about half a
million people, who are being wooed from all sides in the run-up to
next year's presidential and parliamentary elections.
Some prominent members of the Franco-Armenian community include singer
Charles Aznavour, former football international Youri Djorkaeff and
Patrick Devedjian, an parliamentarian with Sarkozy's ruling Union
for a Popular Movement (UMP).
Before becoming president in 2007, Sarkozy promised the Armenian
community he would push through legislation criminalizing genocide
denial.
But the opposition Socialists stole a march on the UMP by proposing
the first such bill, which was passed by the Assembly in 2006.
That bill was rejected by the Senate in May this year, when it was
still controlled by Sarkozy's party.
In having his party put forward a new, slightly modified text, Sarkozy
"kept his promise" to Armenians, according to Devedjian.
But not everyone approved of Sarkozy's gamble vis-a-vis France's
third-biggest trading partner outside the EU.
Le Monde newspaper criticized the bill as setting back the clock
on months of efforts by the Foreign Ministry to improve relations
with Turkey.
"France could find itself offside in the eyes of a strategic Turkish
partner," which was being "amply courted by the United States and
whose support is necessary to convince the Syrian regime to stop
massacring its opponents," the paper said.
A Turkish embassy spokesman warned France against underestimating
Turkey. "The Turkey of 2011 is not the Turkey of 2001," Engin Solakoglu
told dpa.
France's European affairs minister, Jean Leonetti, was dismissive of
Turkey's rumblings, calling them "empty threats."
"France is convinced that it doesn't risk much in provoking Turkey,"
Alican Tayla, a researcher with the Institute for International and
Stategic Relations in Paris, told dpa.
"A real lasting crisis would isolate Turkey more than France,"
Tayla predicted.
Erdogan took a different view. For the combative Turkish leader
the vote was "unfortunate for Turkey, but it is a bigger misfortune
for France."
From: Baghdasarian