Tweet
NEIGHBORS / TURKEY SAYS FRENCH LAW DAMAGES 'FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION'
By Zvi Bar'el
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/neighbors-turkey-says-french-l aw-damages-freedom-of-expression-1.404008
Latest update 01:50 28.12.11
ERDOGAN LASHES OUT AT FRANCE OVER BILL THAT WOULD MAKE DENIAL OF THE
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE A CRIME.
A Holocaust must not be denied, according to France, be it the Jewish
Holocaust or the Armenian. While the French Parliament passed a law in
1990 against denying the Jewish Holocaust and against manifestations of
anti-Semitism, the Armenian Holocaust has not won identical status. The
lower house last week passed a bill defining denial of the slaughter
of the Armenian people as a crime, but it still needs the Senate's
approval to become law.
Turkey is not waiting. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already
imposed a string of sanctions on France, including a prohibition on
the landing of French warplanes and the anchoring of French warships in
Turkish territory. More sanctions, including a trade freeze between the
two countries, are expected, and if the law is passed in the Senate,
Turkey is liable to widen the breach.
Although the murder of approximately 1.5 million Armenians - or
"the death of Armenians in a situation of war," as the Turkish
version has it - took place in 1915, under the Ottoman Empire,
Turkey sees the definition of genocide as casting direct blame on
it. This is not just a matter of legal repercussions that might stem
from casting blame. In Turkey's view, refuting this accusation is
"a matter of pride," as Erdogan has defined it, or more precisely:
"a correction of an historical distortion."
Turkey says the French law damages the freedom of expression.
Erdogan is not a champion of freedom of expression. The Turkish
writer Orhan Pamuk, a Nobel laureate for literature, can testify to
the travails he endured at the hands of the Turkish legal system for
his statements on the slaughter of the Armenians.
In a conflict between freedom of expression and honor, honor will
win. Israel, too, has learned that the red line in Turkish foreign
policy is honor - whether the subject be the killing of Turkish
citizens on the Mavi Marmara or casting historical blame. Thus,
Turkey froze trade with France in 2001 when a law similar to the
recognition of the Armenian genocide came up before the French
Parliament. Similarly, Turkey narrowed its relations with Israel
because of an apology that has not been made and the refusal to pay
compensation for the Turks who were killed. Turkey also decided to
cut relations with Syria when Syrian President Bashar Assad thumbed
his nose at its requests and warnings to cease the bloodshed.
Ostensibly, Turkey is operating contrary to the principle coined by
its foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, that his country aspires to
"zero problems with the neighbors." As for Armenia, Turkey is waging
an international campaign against the recognition of the genocide;
it is also describing events in Syria as a "bloodbath." The warm
relationship between Erdogan and Bashar has burst like a bubble.
In its relations with Iran, Turkey had aspired to establish a
diplomatic axis, but things are tense in the context of Turkey's
policy toward Syria. As for Iraq, Turkey is attacking the bases of the
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK ) and is liable to enter into conflict
with the Iraqi regime. As for Cyprus - one of the main problems
impeding Turkey's entry into the European Union - no solution is
in sight. According to Erdogan, Turkey will sever ties with the EU
during Cyprus' stint in its rotating presidency.
Now, France has joined the list of "hostile countries."
Turkey's foreign policy is not detached from domestic political
considerations, which dictate its conduct. In each of the crises
Erdogan can rely on broad public support and in some of them, as in
the cases of France and Syria, the opposition also supports him.
Turkey defines its foreign policy as based on "values" - not on
interests. The assessment of the policy shapers is that a crisis with
a neighboring country in the context of damage to Turkey's honor or
damage to interests that are important to Turkey merits diplomatic
and political investment even if in the short term Turkey pays a price.
Turkey can return to Syria as a hero after Assad's fall; Iran will be
needy for purposes of maintaining order in Iraq. Turkey has earned
political capital among the Palestinians from its punishment of
Israel. It will also be hard for France to relinquish the activity of
about a 1,000 French companies in Turkey and trade worth an estimated
$12 billion.
The rights of the Moroccan male
An association for the rights of the Muslim man? Indeed.
It turns out that in a world perceived as one failing to champion
the rights of women, it's hard to find anyone ready to defend men
who are suffering at the hands of their womenfolk, whether the harm
is physical or psychological. While the social networks in Egypt are
publishing appalling photos of abuse suffered by female demonstrators,
in Morocco a nonprofit organization headed by Abdul Fattah Bahjaji
is taking energetic action to defend men's rights. It says some 4,000
men are abused annually, most of them in Casablanca.
There are hair-raising tales of men being beaten, locked in the home,
stabbed with a knife or starved for some time by their wives.
The association deals with filing suits against the wives and settling
the relations between the spouses. The statistics indicate this is
a growing phenomenon: 350 cases in the association's first year of
activity in 2009 grew to 4,200 this past year. Perhaps the solution
will be found on the Facebook page of the Egyptian association
for defending men's rights. One of its writers has proposed a law
compelling all wives to undergo an annual test - "like a car." The
test would include "observation of the changes in the wife's beauty
and weight, her ability to cook, limitation of the duration of the
marriage and the return of the bride price paid to the wife's parents
after 10 years.
From: Baghdasarian
By Zvi Bar'el
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/neighbors-turkey-says-french-l aw-damages-freedom-of-expression-1.404008
Latest update 01:50 28.12.11
ERDOGAN LASHES OUT AT FRANCE OVER BILL THAT WOULD MAKE DENIAL OF THE
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE A CRIME.
A Holocaust must not be denied, according to France, be it the Jewish
Holocaust or the Armenian. While the French Parliament passed a law in
1990 against denying the Jewish Holocaust and against manifestations of
anti-Semitism, the Armenian Holocaust has not won identical status. The
lower house last week passed a bill defining denial of the slaughter
of the Armenian people as a crime, but it still needs the Senate's
approval to become law.
Turkey is not waiting. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already
imposed a string of sanctions on France, including a prohibition on
the landing of French warplanes and the anchoring of French warships in
Turkish territory. More sanctions, including a trade freeze between the
two countries, are expected, and if the law is passed in the Senate,
Turkey is liable to widen the breach.
Although the murder of approximately 1.5 million Armenians - or
"the death of Armenians in a situation of war," as the Turkish
version has it - took place in 1915, under the Ottoman Empire,
Turkey sees the definition of genocide as casting direct blame on
it. This is not just a matter of legal repercussions that might stem
from casting blame. In Turkey's view, refuting this accusation is
"a matter of pride," as Erdogan has defined it, or more precisely:
"a correction of an historical distortion."
Turkey says the French law damages the freedom of expression.
Erdogan is not a champion of freedom of expression. The Turkish
writer Orhan Pamuk, a Nobel laureate for literature, can testify to
the travails he endured at the hands of the Turkish legal system for
his statements on the slaughter of the Armenians.
In a conflict between freedom of expression and honor, honor will
win. Israel, too, has learned that the red line in Turkish foreign
policy is honor - whether the subject be the killing of Turkish
citizens on the Mavi Marmara or casting historical blame. Thus,
Turkey froze trade with France in 2001 when a law similar to the
recognition of the Armenian genocide came up before the French
Parliament. Similarly, Turkey narrowed its relations with Israel
because of an apology that has not been made and the refusal to pay
compensation for the Turks who were killed. Turkey also decided to
cut relations with Syria when Syrian President Bashar Assad thumbed
his nose at its requests and warnings to cease the bloodshed.
Ostensibly, Turkey is operating contrary to the principle coined by
its foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, that his country aspires to
"zero problems with the neighbors." As for Armenia, Turkey is waging
an international campaign against the recognition of the genocide;
it is also describing events in Syria as a "bloodbath." The warm
relationship between Erdogan and Bashar has burst like a bubble.
In its relations with Iran, Turkey had aspired to establish a
diplomatic axis, but things are tense in the context of Turkey's
policy toward Syria. As for Iraq, Turkey is attacking the bases of the
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK ) and is liable to enter into conflict
with the Iraqi regime. As for Cyprus - one of the main problems
impeding Turkey's entry into the European Union - no solution is
in sight. According to Erdogan, Turkey will sever ties with the EU
during Cyprus' stint in its rotating presidency.
Now, France has joined the list of "hostile countries."
Turkey's foreign policy is not detached from domestic political
considerations, which dictate its conduct. In each of the crises
Erdogan can rely on broad public support and in some of them, as in
the cases of France and Syria, the opposition also supports him.
Turkey defines its foreign policy as based on "values" - not on
interests. The assessment of the policy shapers is that a crisis with
a neighboring country in the context of damage to Turkey's honor or
damage to interests that are important to Turkey merits diplomatic
and political investment even if in the short term Turkey pays a price.
Turkey can return to Syria as a hero after Assad's fall; Iran will be
needy for purposes of maintaining order in Iraq. Turkey has earned
political capital among the Palestinians from its punishment of
Israel. It will also be hard for France to relinquish the activity of
about a 1,000 French companies in Turkey and trade worth an estimated
$12 billion.
The rights of the Moroccan male
An association for the rights of the Muslim man? Indeed.
It turns out that in a world perceived as one failing to champion
the rights of women, it's hard to find anyone ready to defend men
who are suffering at the hands of their womenfolk, whether the harm
is physical or psychological. While the social networks in Egypt are
publishing appalling photos of abuse suffered by female demonstrators,
in Morocco a nonprofit organization headed by Abdul Fattah Bahjaji
is taking energetic action to defend men's rights. It says some 4,000
men are abused annually, most of them in Casablanca.
There are hair-raising tales of men being beaten, locked in the home,
stabbed with a knife or starved for some time by their wives.
The association deals with filing suits against the wives and settling
the relations between the spouses. The statistics indicate this is
a growing phenomenon: 350 cases in the association's first year of
activity in 2009 grew to 4,200 this past year. Perhaps the solution
will be found on the Facebook page of the Egyptian association
for defending men's rights. One of its writers has proposed a law
compelling all wives to undergo an annual test - "like a car." The
test would include "observation of the changes in the wife's beauty
and weight, her ability to cook, limitation of the duration of the
marriage and the return of the bride price paid to the wife's parents
after 10 years.
From: Baghdasarian