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Agence France Presse
December 23, 2011 Friday 12:45 PM GMT
Turkish rage at French genocide bill likely to endure
ANKARA, Dec 23 2011
The crisis between Turkey and France over a French bill criminalising
the denial of the Armenian genocide by Ottoman forces may last longer
than a previous bilateral row in 2006, politicians and commentators
warned Friday.
Ankara immediately froze military and diplomatic ties with Paris after
the French lower house of parliament voted the bill through on
Thursday, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Enhanced Coverage
LinkingRecep Tayyip Erdogan -Search using:Biographies Plus NewsNews,
Most Recent 60 Daysaccused France of committing "genocide" in its
colonial wars in Algeria.
"France massacred an estimated 15 percent of the Algerian population
starting from 1945. This is genocide," Erdogan told a news conference
on Friday.
He accused Sarkozy, who faces presidential polls next year, of
"fanning hatred of Muslims and Turks for electoral gains."
As Turkey's ambassdador to Paris Tahsin Burcuoglu flew back home on
Friday for consultations, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Ankara
would raise its voice against the bill "all around the world."
"If they think that we will leave this to time, they are wrong... We
will not give in anywhere," Davutoglu said, adding that Turkey would
consider whether to "sharpen or ease" its sanctions against France
according to the attitude of Paris.
During World War I hundreds of thousands of ethnic Armenians were
killed by Ottoman Turk forces. Armenia and a score of other countries
call it a genocide in which 1.5 million died, while Turkey puts the
death toll at around 500,000 in fighting after they sided with a
Russian invasion.
France, which has a strong Armenian community, recognised the killings
as genocide in 2001 and triggered a new crisis with Turkey in 2006,
when the French parliament introduced a similar bill to the one
approved on Thursday.
Turkey's reaction then was limited to economic matters, but this time
it has gone further.
"Erdogan indicated that this time Turkish reaction might go further
than some impulsive and rather symbolic moves aimed mostly at calming
public opinion," columnist Yusuf Kanli wrote in Friday's Hurriyet
Daily News said.
Turkey would no longer be France's "punchbag", a governmental source
told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"This bill is against freedom of speech and expression and it hurts
the national pride of Turkey," the source said.
Ankara's suspension of political and military cooperation with fellow
NATO-member France could jeopardise their intensive dialogue over the
latest developments in the Middle East including the crisis in Syria.
"Even if (the bill) is held up in the Senate, this issue will remain a
deadly virus in ties between Ankara and Paris at a time when
level-headed French politicians are calling for deeper cooperation
with an increasingly influential Turkey," wrote another columnist,
Semih Idiz.
The French move also irked the Turkish press.
"Les Miserables" wrote daily Radikal, referring to the famous novel of
French writer Victor Hugo, while daily Sozcu headlined "45 maniaques",
reffering to the number of lawmakers present on Thursday to vote the
bill.
France is home to around 500,000 citizens of Armenian descent and they
are seen as a key source of support for Sarkozy and his right-wing UMP
party ahead of presidential and legislative elections in April and
June nest year.
Turkey and France have enjoyed close ties since the end of the Ottoman
Empire, coupled with strong economic links, but relations took a
downturn after Sarkozy became president in 2007 and raised vocal
objections to Turkey's EU accession.
ba-sft/ms/mb
December 23, 2011 Friday 12:45 PM GMT
Turkish rage at French genocide bill likely to endure
ANKARA, Dec 23 2011
The crisis between Turkey and France over a French bill criminalising
the denial of the Armenian genocide by Ottoman forces may last longer
than a previous bilateral row in 2006, politicians and commentators
warned Friday.
Ankara immediately froze military and diplomatic ties with Paris after
the French lower house of parliament voted the bill through on
Thursday, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Enhanced Coverage
LinkingRecep Tayyip Erdogan -Search using:Biographies Plus NewsNews,
Most Recent 60 Daysaccused France of committing "genocide" in its
colonial wars in Algeria.
"France massacred an estimated 15 percent of the Algerian population
starting from 1945. This is genocide," Erdogan told a news conference
on Friday.
He accused Sarkozy, who faces presidential polls next year, of
"fanning hatred of Muslims and Turks for electoral gains."
As Turkey's ambassdador to Paris Tahsin Burcuoglu flew back home on
Friday for consultations, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Ankara
would raise its voice against the bill "all around the world."
"If they think that we will leave this to time, they are wrong... We
will not give in anywhere," Davutoglu said, adding that Turkey would
consider whether to "sharpen or ease" its sanctions against France
according to the attitude of Paris.
During World War I hundreds of thousands of ethnic Armenians were
killed by Ottoman Turk forces. Armenia and a score of other countries
call it a genocide in which 1.5 million died, while Turkey puts the
death toll at around 500,000 in fighting after they sided with a
Russian invasion.
France, which has a strong Armenian community, recognised the killings
as genocide in 2001 and triggered a new crisis with Turkey in 2006,
when the French parliament introduced a similar bill to the one
approved on Thursday.
Turkey's reaction then was limited to economic matters, but this time
it has gone further.
"Erdogan indicated that this time Turkish reaction might go further
than some impulsive and rather symbolic moves aimed mostly at calming
public opinion," columnist Yusuf Kanli wrote in Friday's Hurriyet
Daily News said.
Turkey would no longer be France's "punchbag", a governmental source
told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"This bill is against freedom of speech and expression and it hurts
the national pride of Turkey," the source said.
Ankara's suspension of political and military cooperation with fellow
NATO-member France could jeopardise their intensive dialogue over the
latest developments in the Middle East including the crisis in Syria.
"Even if (the bill) is held up in the Senate, this issue will remain a
deadly virus in ties between Ankara and Paris at a time when
level-headed French politicians are calling for deeper cooperation
with an increasingly influential Turkey," wrote another columnist,
Semih Idiz.
The French move also irked the Turkish press.
"Les Miserables" wrote daily Radikal, referring to the famous novel of
French writer Victor Hugo, while daily Sozcu headlined "45 maniaques",
reffering to the number of lawmakers present on Thursday to vote the
bill.
France is home to around 500,000 citizens of Armenian descent and they
are seen as a key source of support for Sarkozy and his right-wing UMP
party ahead of presidential and legislative elections in April and
June nest year.
Turkey and France have enjoyed close ties since the end of the Ottoman
Empire, coupled with strong economic links, but relations took a
downturn after Sarkozy became president in 2007 and raised vocal
objections to Turkey's EU accession.
ba-sft/ms/mb