Tweet
FRANCE'S BILL OF INTOLERANCE: WHAT IT MEANS FOR AZERBAIJAN
Today's Zaman
Dec 27 2011
Turkey
"We enjoy a positive national image in Azerbaijan; France was the
second country after Turkey to recognize Azerbaijani independence
in 1991," declares the website of the French foreign ministry
(http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr).
However, although France was the second country to open an embassy in
Baku, it was not in fact the second country to recognize Azerbaijan's
independence. This technical issue aside, the other matter is of
greater concern -- current perceptions of France among the Azerbaijani
public following recent developments.
It would be excessively harsh to say that France has already lost
its good reputation in Azerbaijan, but there is risk of this happening.
The National Assembly (lower chamber of the French parliament) passed
a bill criminalizing the denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide"
allegedly committed by the Ottoman Empire in 1915. Following the
adoption of this bill in the National Assembly, both opposition and
government officials in Azerbaijan have harshly criticized France's
position. Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Oktay Asadov called the
French National Assembly's decision unreasonable, ill-conceived and
indicative of a weak foreign policy. Another high ranking official,
Novruz Mammadov, the head of the Foreign Relations Department in
Azerbaijan's presidential administration, extended the opinion
to the local press that the bill "restricts freedom of expression
and opinion. This step by parliament may affect Azerbaijani-French
relations. We need to wait a while and then we'll take the necessary
steps."
Azerbaijani NGOs such as the International Diaspora Center and
the Union of Azerbaijan Patriotic War Veterans staged a protest on
Dec. 22 in front of the French Embassy in Baku. In addition, there are
discussions on public and social media sites about potential boycotts
of French goods and products in protest against this intolerant piece
of legislation. Lawyer Erkin Gadirli stated in his personal blog,
"[I]f this bill is ratified, Azerbaijan must take significant steps
against France," an opinion that is shared by many in Baku.
The bill has not yet passed into law and, in fact, the Swiss adopted
a similar bill several years ago, but there was not such public
outcry in Azerbaijan. Moreover, many countries around the world have
recognized the 1915 events as genocide. There are three reasons why
the Azerbaijani public is so frustrated and has responded so harshly
to the French parliament's decision.
Firstly, France is a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, which aims
to achieve peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. On
several occasions, Azerbaijan has openly discussed exchanging the
French seat for an EU representative, with the goal of increasing the
EU's contribution, which some believe could prove essential. But every
time, EU high representatives respond that France is there to inform
the EU and the change is unnecessary. Now, the Azerbaijani public
is talking about this change not because they are so keen for EU
involvement, but because France has lost its reputation as an "honest
broker". Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Elman Abdullayev stated via local media outlet APA that as a country
heavily involved in the mediation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
France should not have become a hostage of the Armenian diaspora.
One Armenian expert's comment demonstrates that Baku is right to
protest this intolerant bill. Anush Hovhannisyan remarked that "for
now, Armenia's and France's interests are the same." Experts agree
that this bill is not a victory of Armenian diplomacy but evidence
of corresponding interests. The personal lobbying on the part of one
or two members of parliament is damaging France's national interests.
This comes on top of the recent blocking of the reappointment of
US Ambassador to Baku Matthew Bryza by two senators strongly backed
by the Armenian diaspora. These two cases demonstrate the extent to
which small interest groups can affect a country's national interests.
Second of all, the bill introduced by Member of Parliament Valerie
Boyer proposes a year in jail or a 45,000 euro fine for those who
challenge or minimize the 1915 events as "not genocide." Ms. Boyer
illegally visited the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is under the
occupation of Armenia. In fact, four members of the French National
Assembly, headed by Guy Teissier, chairman of the French Assembly's
defense and armed forces committee, illegally visited Nagorno-Karabakh
in August of this year. Four deputies have been blacklisted and
declared persona non grata in Azerbaijan, one of whom is Valerie
Boyer. This background has also contributed to the tension in Baku
surrounding the recently passed bill in France; however, few Turks or
Azerbaijanis are aware of these facts. In this light, one can argue
that not only is the creator of this bill pro-Armenian, she also does
not share the views of the international community on Azerbaijan's
territorial integrity.
Thirdly, the Azerbaijani public feels that France has lost sight of
its strong claim to democracy, "liberty, equality, fraternity" --
a declaration that Azerbaijani intellectuals and liberals held high
during the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in
1918. The Azerbaijani Democratic Republic sent a delegation to the
Paris Peace Conference in 1919 for the recognition of Azerbaijan
by Allied forces. Members of the delegation, including Ahmadbey
Agayev (known in Turkey as Ahmet Agaoglu) and Ceyhun bey Hajibeyli
(publisher of the book "Karabakh folklore" in Paris), are graduates of
the Sorbonne University and Paris School of Political Sciences. The
people of Azerbaijan are proud of this history and this is one of
the reasons they are sympathetic towards France. Thus, people quite
reasonably are asking the question, "Where are liberty and equality?"
Anatole France, the great French novelist, in his "Red Lily" wrote,
"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as
the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets and to steal
bread." But here we see a law passed in French parliament that entails
inequality, intolerance and discriminatory solidarity.
Right now, Azerbaijan most likely will not take the serious measures
as Turkey is, but Baku has already sent its concerns as a message to
the international community. This message raises specific concerns not
only about support for the Turkish position, but also, and primarily,
on the intolerant character of the bill.
Today's Zaman
Dec 27 2011
Turkey
"We enjoy a positive national image in Azerbaijan; France was the
second country after Turkey to recognize Azerbaijani independence
in 1991," declares the website of the French foreign ministry
(http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr).
However, although France was the second country to open an embassy in
Baku, it was not in fact the second country to recognize Azerbaijan's
independence. This technical issue aside, the other matter is of
greater concern -- current perceptions of France among the Azerbaijani
public following recent developments.
It would be excessively harsh to say that France has already lost
its good reputation in Azerbaijan, but there is risk of this happening.
The National Assembly (lower chamber of the French parliament) passed
a bill criminalizing the denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide"
allegedly committed by the Ottoman Empire in 1915. Following the
adoption of this bill in the National Assembly, both opposition and
government officials in Azerbaijan have harshly criticized France's
position. Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Oktay Asadov called the
French National Assembly's decision unreasonable, ill-conceived and
indicative of a weak foreign policy. Another high ranking official,
Novruz Mammadov, the head of the Foreign Relations Department in
Azerbaijan's presidential administration, extended the opinion
to the local press that the bill "restricts freedom of expression
and opinion. This step by parliament may affect Azerbaijani-French
relations. We need to wait a while and then we'll take the necessary
steps."
Azerbaijani NGOs such as the International Diaspora Center and
the Union of Azerbaijan Patriotic War Veterans staged a protest on
Dec. 22 in front of the French Embassy in Baku. In addition, there are
discussions on public and social media sites about potential boycotts
of French goods and products in protest against this intolerant piece
of legislation. Lawyer Erkin Gadirli stated in his personal blog,
"[I]f this bill is ratified, Azerbaijan must take significant steps
against France," an opinion that is shared by many in Baku.
The bill has not yet passed into law and, in fact, the Swiss adopted
a similar bill several years ago, but there was not such public
outcry in Azerbaijan. Moreover, many countries around the world have
recognized the 1915 events as genocide. There are three reasons why
the Azerbaijani public is so frustrated and has responded so harshly
to the French parliament's decision.
Firstly, France is a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, which aims
to achieve peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. On
several occasions, Azerbaijan has openly discussed exchanging the
French seat for an EU representative, with the goal of increasing the
EU's contribution, which some believe could prove essential. But every
time, EU high representatives respond that France is there to inform
the EU and the change is unnecessary. Now, the Azerbaijani public
is talking about this change not because they are so keen for EU
involvement, but because France has lost its reputation as an "honest
broker". Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Elman Abdullayev stated via local media outlet APA that as a country
heavily involved in the mediation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
France should not have become a hostage of the Armenian diaspora.
One Armenian expert's comment demonstrates that Baku is right to
protest this intolerant bill. Anush Hovhannisyan remarked that "for
now, Armenia's and France's interests are the same." Experts agree
that this bill is not a victory of Armenian diplomacy but evidence
of corresponding interests. The personal lobbying on the part of one
or two members of parliament is damaging France's national interests.
This comes on top of the recent blocking of the reappointment of
US Ambassador to Baku Matthew Bryza by two senators strongly backed
by the Armenian diaspora. These two cases demonstrate the extent to
which small interest groups can affect a country's national interests.
Second of all, the bill introduced by Member of Parliament Valerie
Boyer proposes a year in jail or a 45,000 euro fine for those who
challenge or minimize the 1915 events as "not genocide." Ms. Boyer
illegally visited the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is under the
occupation of Armenia. In fact, four members of the French National
Assembly, headed by Guy Teissier, chairman of the French Assembly's
defense and armed forces committee, illegally visited Nagorno-Karabakh
in August of this year. Four deputies have been blacklisted and
declared persona non grata in Azerbaijan, one of whom is Valerie
Boyer. This background has also contributed to the tension in Baku
surrounding the recently passed bill in France; however, few Turks or
Azerbaijanis are aware of these facts. In this light, one can argue
that not only is the creator of this bill pro-Armenian, she also does
not share the views of the international community on Azerbaijan's
territorial integrity.
Thirdly, the Azerbaijani public feels that France has lost sight of
its strong claim to democracy, "liberty, equality, fraternity" --
a declaration that Azerbaijani intellectuals and liberals held high
during the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in
1918. The Azerbaijani Democratic Republic sent a delegation to the
Paris Peace Conference in 1919 for the recognition of Azerbaijan
by Allied forces. Members of the delegation, including Ahmadbey
Agayev (known in Turkey as Ahmet Agaoglu) and Ceyhun bey Hajibeyli
(publisher of the book "Karabakh folklore" in Paris), are graduates of
the Sorbonne University and Paris School of Political Sciences. The
people of Azerbaijan are proud of this history and this is one of
the reasons they are sympathetic towards France. Thus, people quite
reasonably are asking the question, "Where are liberty and equality?"
Anatole France, the great French novelist, in his "Red Lily" wrote,
"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as
the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets and to steal
bread." But here we see a law passed in French parliament that entails
inequality, intolerance and discriminatory solidarity.
Right now, Azerbaijan most likely will not take the serious measures
as Turkey is, but Baku has already sent its concerns as a message to
the international community. This message raises specific concerns not
only about support for the Turkish position, but also, and primarily,
on the intolerant character of the bill.