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CRISIS WITH FRANCE AND ARMENIAN DIASPORA ACTIVITIES IN THE LIGHT OF 2015
www.avim.org.tr
http://www.avim.org.tr/degerlendirmetekli.php?makaleid=5275
Dec 23 2011
French National Assembly's vote on Thursday of the law punishing the
denial of the genocide is currently determining foreign policy agenda.
Although deemed unlikely that the bill -now to be submitted to the
Senate- would become a law before the elections, it could easily
be assumed that this agenda is the result of political rivalries
within the French political conundrum. Even if it arose from such
internal political debate, it is still unclear that the bill would
serve the purpose of increasing popular support for or the results
anticipated by the UMP, Sarkozy's Party. Studies reveal that voter
partisanship is most prevalent in France, and is rarely changed by
the pre-election campaigns. Other studies reveal that the political
campaigns before the elections could have a politicizing effect on
the electorate, but only to confirm, not to change the voter behavior
during the elections. Thus Sarkozy and UMP's attempts to increase
their support before the elections could be misleading. Even if this
is the case, considering the number of French citizens of Armenian
origin, namely maximum 450000, and the total French electorate,
44.4 million registered voters, and any support that would come from
that particular group could be insignificant. Some commentators claim
that UMP and Sarkozy tried in fact to steal votes from the Socialist
Presidential candidate Francois Hollande, former first secretary of
the Socialist Party. He recently seems to increase his efforts to
strengthen links with the Dashnaks and other Armenian associations.
Considering the constant support by the Armenians to the Socialist
Party of France and the disappointment with Sarkozy's failed promises,
passing of the law from the National Assembly by an absurd number of
votes is hardly surprising.
Inspired by the crisis with the France, it is reasonable to assume
that the foreign policy agenda in Turkey and all over the world are
stuck with short term crises. A long term approach on foreign policy
is underestimated, mainly due to short-term political gains. Even
in the short-term, French politicians are now facing the serious
sanctions by the Turkish government and even the French public is
unhappy with the current condition. And in the long-term, it now
becomes clear that the relation between both countries is hard to
repair. Despite little direct involvement on their side, another
Diaspora in a European country seems to gain a controversial success,
and contribute -as always- to the crisis, not reconciliation.
Therefore, attempts against Turkey in the international field by the
Armenian Diaspora have begun drawing much more attention more than
ever. Despite the lack of awareness in the Turkish public opinion, the
problems that would arise from the activities of the Armenian Diaspora
in the near future could have more impact than any other temporary
inter-state crisis. Thus, rather than only being a crisis between
the two countries, this crisis once again displayed an example of the
Armenian Diaspora's anti-Turkey initiatives which it has intensified
when 2015 is drawing near.
To mention some of the intensified activities of the Armenian Diaspora
and Armenia:
1. Upon Armenian President Serj Sarkisyan's directive and approval, a
"State Commission for Coordination of the Commemoration Activities for
the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide" has been established
in April 2011. In this commission, Armenian authorities as well as
representatives from the Diaspora have been included.
2. The "3rd Western Armenians" National Assembly", long existing on the
agenda of the Armenians in Europe, has been held in the city of Sevres
in France in December 2011. The first two assemblies were held in 1917
and 1919. With this Assembly, it has been decided that a National
Council of Western Armenians would be organized internationally to
represent Western Armenians and initiatives against Turkey would be
hastened before 2015. The most significant of these initiatives is
supporting the works to determine the collective losses and damages
of the "Western Armenians" experienced in 1915 as defined by the
2012-2013 Action Plan of the Council and forming an organization
entitled "Armenian Forum of Lawyers" and filing action for damages
in national and international courts.
3. Similarly, action for damages has been continuing in the US filed
in 2009 against the Republic of Turkey and the Central Bank and Ziraat
Bank of Turkey.
4. It could also be observed that attempts to form historical and legal
basis for file suits in the US and elsewhere and possibly in the future
have seriously increased through the support of academic research
regarding Armenian properties, known particularly as "abandoned
properties" in Turkey and among international academic circles.
5. Within the area of international academics, works directed
towards the recognition of the Armenian genocide allegations such
as meetings, seminars, conferences, and publication of books and
articles have gained momentum. Within this framework, an agreement
has been reached between the Armenian Film Foundation and the Southern
California University Shoah Foundation Institute in April 2010 for the
publication of works to be prepared with the recordings of interviews
conducted with approximately 400 witnesses of "genocide". Currently,
works towards publishing the records found in the Armenian Archives
Administration has also begun. Similar attempts to use oral propaganda
are under way.
6. A project for an Armenian Genocide Museum, first started by the
Cafesjian Foundation in Washington in 2000, but only began to be
fully implemented due to various legal disagreements is planned for
opening before 2015.
This short list comprises only a small portion of propaganda against
Turkey performed by the Diaspora. As a matter of fact, Diaspora's
attempts towards the recognition of the genocide allegations in
parliaments of foreign countries are still continuing. As the list
shows, we are confronted with a much more serious crisis than a
politically motivated French attempt against Turkey. Thus, new measures
to counteract the Diaspora initiatives in the international arena -
which remained unanswered- are necessary and inevitable.
[translated from Turkish]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
www.avim.org.tr
http://www.avim.org.tr/degerlendirmetekli.php?makaleid=5275
Dec 23 2011
French National Assembly's vote on Thursday of the law punishing the
denial of the genocide is currently determining foreign policy agenda.
Although deemed unlikely that the bill -now to be submitted to the
Senate- would become a law before the elections, it could easily
be assumed that this agenda is the result of political rivalries
within the French political conundrum. Even if it arose from such
internal political debate, it is still unclear that the bill would
serve the purpose of increasing popular support for or the results
anticipated by the UMP, Sarkozy's Party. Studies reveal that voter
partisanship is most prevalent in France, and is rarely changed by
the pre-election campaigns. Other studies reveal that the political
campaigns before the elections could have a politicizing effect on
the electorate, but only to confirm, not to change the voter behavior
during the elections. Thus Sarkozy and UMP's attempts to increase
their support before the elections could be misleading. Even if this
is the case, considering the number of French citizens of Armenian
origin, namely maximum 450000, and the total French electorate,
44.4 million registered voters, and any support that would come from
that particular group could be insignificant. Some commentators claim
that UMP and Sarkozy tried in fact to steal votes from the Socialist
Presidential candidate Francois Hollande, former first secretary of
the Socialist Party. He recently seems to increase his efforts to
strengthen links with the Dashnaks and other Armenian associations.
Considering the constant support by the Armenians to the Socialist
Party of France and the disappointment with Sarkozy's failed promises,
passing of the law from the National Assembly by an absurd number of
votes is hardly surprising.
Inspired by the crisis with the France, it is reasonable to assume
that the foreign policy agenda in Turkey and all over the world are
stuck with short term crises. A long term approach on foreign policy
is underestimated, mainly due to short-term political gains. Even
in the short-term, French politicians are now facing the serious
sanctions by the Turkish government and even the French public is
unhappy with the current condition. And in the long-term, it now
becomes clear that the relation between both countries is hard to
repair. Despite little direct involvement on their side, another
Diaspora in a European country seems to gain a controversial success,
and contribute -as always- to the crisis, not reconciliation.
Therefore, attempts against Turkey in the international field by the
Armenian Diaspora have begun drawing much more attention more than
ever. Despite the lack of awareness in the Turkish public opinion, the
problems that would arise from the activities of the Armenian Diaspora
in the near future could have more impact than any other temporary
inter-state crisis. Thus, rather than only being a crisis between
the two countries, this crisis once again displayed an example of the
Armenian Diaspora's anti-Turkey initiatives which it has intensified
when 2015 is drawing near.
To mention some of the intensified activities of the Armenian Diaspora
and Armenia:
1. Upon Armenian President Serj Sarkisyan's directive and approval, a
"State Commission for Coordination of the Commemoration Activities for
the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide" has been established
in April 2011. In this commission, Armenian authorities as well as
representatives from the Diaspora have been included.
2. The "3rd Western Armenians" National Assembly", long existing on the
agenda of the Armenians in Europe, has been held in the city of Sevres
in France in December 2011. The first two assemblies were held in 1917
and 1919. With this Assembly, it has been decided that a National
Council of Western Armenians would be organized internationally to
represent Western Armenians and initiatives against Turkey would be
hastened before 2015. The most significant of these initiatives is
supporting the works to determine the collective losses and damages
of the "Western Armenians" experienced in 1915 as defined by the
2012-2013 Action Plan of the Council and forming an organization
entitled "Armenian Forum of Lawyers" and filing action for damages
in national and international courts.
3. Similarly, action for damages has been continuing in the US filed
in 2009 against the Republic of Turkey and the Central Bank and Ziraat
Bank of Turkey.
4. It could also be observed that attempts to form historical and legal
basis for file suits in the US and elsewhere and possibly in the future
have seriously increased through the support of academic research
regarding Armenian properties, known particularly as "abandoned
properties" in Turkey and among international academic circles.
5. Within the area of international academics, works directed
towards the recognition of the Armenian genocide allegations such
as meetings, seminars, conferences, and publication of books and
articles have gained momentum. Within this framework, an agreement
has been reached between the Armenian Film Foundation and the Southern
California University Shoah Foundation Institute in April 2010 for the
publication of works to be prepared with the recordings of interviews
conducted with approximately 400 witnesses of "genocide". Currently,
works towards publishing the records found in the Armenian Archives
Administration has also begun. Similar attempts to use oral propaganda
are under way.
6. A project for an Armenian Genocide Museum, first started by the
Cafesjian Foundation in Washington in 2000, but only began to be
fully implemented due to various legal disagreements is planned for
opening before 2015.
This short list comprises only a small portion of propaganda against
Turkey performed by the Diaspora. As a matter of fact, Diaspora's
attempts towards the recognition of the genocide allegations in
parliaments of foreign countries are still continuing. As the list
shows, we are confronted with a much more serious crisis than a
politically motivated French attempt against Turkey. Thus, new measures
to counteract the Diaspora initiatives in the international arena -
which remained unanswered- are necessary and inevitable.
[translated from Turkish]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress