TURKISH FM WARNS FRANCE
Anadolu Agency
Dec 29 2011
Turkey
Turkey's foreign minister Thursday called on the French parliament
not to make imperialist plans on agonies of other people.
Ahmet Davutoglu addressed the French parliament and drew attention
to the difference in leaderships of French President Nicolas Sarkozy
and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Founder of Republic of Turkey.
"Every nation thinks that its agony is unique, however we can
understand agonies of all nations because we felt the biggest agony,"
Davutoglu told a conference on "From Balkan War to Balkan Peace:
Turkish Foreign Policy in its 100th Anniversary" at the Trakya
University in the northwestern province of Edirne.
Davutoglu said the French parliament should not make imperialist
plans on agonies of other people, and referred to difference between
Mustafa Kemal and Sarkozy.
"One of them abandoned the place he was born, and burst into tears
in every Thracian song he listened. He could incite his nation as the
founder of a new nation state, and could make his nation remind their
agonies by telling them that 'the Greeks occupied the territories'.
However, he did not say so, but extended his hand to Venizelos
because a leader like Ataturk was the outcome of a 10-century blend,"
Davutoglu said.
Davutoglu also said, "however, I am not only telling it for Sarkozy,
but French leaders came to today by making other nations suffer,
and now they are trying to build a new history on agonies of others."
The lower house of the French parliament adopted on December
22 a resolution that criminalizes rejection of Armenian
allegations pertaining to the incidents of 1915. Only 70 out of 577
parliamentarians joined the voting of the resolution which was adopted
with majority of votes.
The resolution envisages "one-year prison term and 45,000 Euro fine for
those who deny genocide recognized by French laws." French Parliament
had recognized so-called Armenian genocide in 1915 on January 29, 2001.
The draft criminalizing the rejection of Armenian allegations had
first been approved in 2006, but it could not become a law as French
President Nicolas Sarkozy prevented its presentation to Senate.
Now, the senate's approval is necessary to make the resolution a law.
Turkey strongly opposes the issue of the incidents of 1915 being
used as a tool in French politics. Many believe that French President
Sarkozy supports the Armenian resolution in order to garner support
from France's Armenian population that number around 500,000.
France will hold the first round of next year's presidential election
on April 22 and the second round run-off on May 6. Sarkozy is running
for a second term.
If the resolution is not adopted at the senate till February 22, 2012
when the parliament and senate will recess for presidential elections,
it will be invalid.
Anadolu Agency
Dec 29 2011
Turkey
Turkey's foreign minister Thursday called on the French parliament
not to make imperialist plans on agonies of other people.
Ahmet Davutoglu addressed the French parliament and drew attention
to the difference in leaderships of French President Nicolas Sarkozy
and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Founder of Republic of Turkey.
"Every nation thinks that its agony is unique, however we can
understand agonies of all nations because we felt the biggest agony,"
Davutoglu told a conference on "From Balkan War to Balkan Peace:
Turkish Foreign Policy in its 100th Anniversary" at the Trakya
University in the northwestern province of Edirne.
Davutoglu said the French parliament should not make imperialist
plans on agonies of other people, and referred to difference between
Mustafa Kemal and Sarkozy.
"One of them abandoned the place he was born, and burst into tears
in every Thracian song he listened. He could incite his nation as the
founder of a new nation state, and could make his nation remind their
agonies by telling them that 'the Greeks occupied the territories'.
However, he did not say so, but extended his hand to Venizelos
because a leader like Ataturk was the outcome of a 10-century blend,"
Davutoglu said.
Davutoglu also said, "however, I am not only telling it for Sarkozy,
but French leaders came to today by making other nations suffer,
and now they are trying to build a new history on agonies of others."
The lower house of the French parliament adopted on December
22 a resolution that criminalizes rejection of Armenian
allegations pertaining to the incidents of 1915. Only 70 out of 577
parliamentarians joined the voting of the resolution which was adopted
with majority of votes.
The resolution envisages "one-year prison term and 45,000 Euro fine for
those who deny genocide recognized by French laws." French Parliament
had recognized so-called Armenian genocide in 1915 on January 29, 2001.
The draft criminalizing the rejection of Armenian allegations had
first been approved in 2006, but it could not become a law as French
President Nicolas Sarkozy prevented its presentation to Senate.
Now, the senate's approval is necessary to make the resolution a law.
Turkey strongly opposes the issue of the incidents of 1915 being
used as a tool in French politics. Many believe that French President
Sarkozy supports the Armenian resolution in order to garner support
from France's Armenian population that number around 500,000.
France will hold the first round of next year's presidential election
on April 22 and the second round run-off on May 6. Sarkozy is running
for a second term.
If the resolution is not adopted at the senate till February 22, 2012
when the parliament and senate will recess for presidential elections,
it will be invalid.