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DECLINING FRENCH-TURKISH RELATIONS COULD HAVE REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS
Dorian Jones | Istanbul
Voice of America
Oct 10 2011
Relations between Turkey and France appear to have reached a new low
following the French president's call on Ankara to recognize the mass
killings of Armenians before and during World War I as genocide.
Turkey has angrily dismissed the call as no more than cheap
electioneering. The increasingly worsening bilateral relations could
have wider regional implications.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday strongly rejected
French President Nicolas Sarkozy's demand that Turkey face up to
its past.
He said any state with a colonial history does not have the right to
give Turkey a lesson on confronting its history. Davutoglu said it
would be beneficial if France confronts its own past.
Ankara says the mass killings of Armenians between 1915 and 1923
were a result of civil war and unrest during World War I and the
collapse of the Ottoman Empire. But Armenia, along with much of the
international community, says it was a genocide.
Sarkozy, during a visit to Armenia last week, indicated that
legislation might be introduced to criminalize deniers of the genocide.
The French president also pressed another point of tension with Ankara
by repeating his opposition to Turkey's bid to join the European
Union, saying Turkey is not a European country. That opposition has
contributed to a rapid deterioration in bilateral relations.
International relations expert Cengiz Aktar of Istanbul's Bahcesehir
University said, "Top decision-makers like Nicolas Sarkozy was spitting
on this country. This is not the way you deal with a future partner."
The Turkish government has dismissed the latest comments by Sarkozy
as cheap electioneering ahead of next year's French presidential
elections. But former Turkish diplomat and visiting Carnegie Europe
scholar Sinan Ulgen said the two leaders' personalities also are
adding to the diplomatic polarization.
"Both politicians are more or less of the same ilk. They [are] both
known to be quite driven personalities, with a very active agenda
and therefore when they come together, perhaps this clash [of]
personalities has really harmed the relationship," said Ulgen.
Ulgen said the bilateral tensions are now manifesting themselves in
countries of the Arab Spring, further deepening the divide between
France and Turkey.
"We've recently seen a rivalry between Turkey and France after the
onset of the Arab Spring, in particular when Turkey wanted to increase
its influence, but also economic contacts within the region. France
seems to be threatened by this Turkish position, given that in some
of these countries, France has [a] privileged position that is now
being challenged by Turkey," said Ulgen.
Last month, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, addressing
the Arab League in Cairo, made what was widely seen as a thinly veiled
attack on France.
He said the Arab countries must be on guard against forces that
will try to divide them. He stressed that Turkey stands ready to
help all those in need and is not motivated by the region's wealth -
a reference to Libya's energy riches.
Paris and Ankara are jockeying for influence in Tripoli. Last month,
the French and Turkish leaders made separate visits to the Libyan
capital on the same day. But former Turkish diplomat Ulgen said
such competition extends across the region and can be beneficial. He
admitted, however, there also are risks.
"This increased competition will certainly help the economic
development of the region. But, of course, on the political side,
the fact that Turkey and France don't see eye-to-eye would complicate
things, especially if the international community as a whole will
be asked to give their support for these countries for transition
towards better democracy," said Ulgen. "There, cooperation between
Turkey and [the] EU in general, but Turkey and France in particular,
would have been certainly helpful - but that's not likely to happen."
With the region at a critical and extremely volatile point in history,
observers warn the bilateral tensions, and especially the increasingly
bitter and personal rivalry between the leaders of France and Turkey,
could well become another destabilizing factor.
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Concern-That-Ill-Will-Between-Turkey-France-Could-Spread-131476443.html
Dorian Jones | Istanbul
Voice of America
Oct 10 2011
Relations between Turkey and France appear to have reached a new low
following the French president's call on Ankara to recognize the mass
killings of Armenians before and during World War I as genocide.
Turkey has angrily dismissed the call as no more than cheap
electioneering. The increasingly worsening bilateral relations could
have wider regional implications.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday strongly rejected
French President Nicolas Sarkozy's demand that Turkey face up to
its past.
He said any state with a colonial history does not have the right to
give Turkey a lesson on confronting its history. Davutoglu said it
would be beneficial if France confronts its own past.
Ankara says the mass killings of Armenians between 1915 and 1923
were a result of civil war and unrest during World War I and the
collapse of the Ottoman Empire. But Armenia, along with much of the
international community, says it was a genocide.
Sarkozy, during a visit to Armenia last week, indicated that
legislation might be introduced to criminalize deniers of the genocide.
The French president also pressed another point of tension with Ankara
by repeating his opposition to Turkey's bid to join the European
Union, saying Turkey is not a European country. That opposition has
contributed to a rapid deterioration in bilateral relations.
International relations expert Cengiz Aktar of Istanbul's Bahcesehir
University said, "Top decision-makers like Nicolas Sarkozy was spitting
on this country. This is not the way you deal with a future partner."
The Turkish government has dismissed the latest comments by Sarkozy
as cheap electioneering ahead of next year's French presidential
elections. But former Turkish diplomat and visiting Carnegie Europe
scholar Sinan Ulgen said the two leaders' personalities also are
adding to the diplomatic polarization.
"Both politicians are more or less of the same ilk. They [are] both
known to be quite driven personalities, with a very active agenda
and therefore when they come together, perhaps this clash [of]
personalities has really harmed the relationship," said Ulgen.
Ulgen said the bilateral tensions are now manifesting themselves in
countries of the Arab Spring, further deepening the divide between
France and Turkey.
"We've recently seen a rivalry between Turkey and France after the
onset of the Arab Spring, in particular when Turkey wanted to increase
its influence, but also economic contacts within the region. France
seems to be threatened by this Turkish position, given that in some
of these countries, France has [a] privileged position that is now
being challenged by Turkey," said Ulgen.
Last month, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, addressing
the Arab League in Cairo, made what was widely seen as a thinly veiled
attack on France.
He said the Arab countries must be on guard against forces that
will try to divide them. He stressed that Turkey stands ready to
help all those in need and is not motivated by the region's wealth -
a reference to Libya's energy riches.
Paris and Ankara are jockeying for influence in Tripoli. Last month,
the French and Turkish leaders made separate visits to the Libyan
capital on the same day. But former Turkish diplomat Ulgen said
such competition extends across the region and can be beneficial. He
admitted, however, there also are risks.
"This increased competition will certainly help the economic
development of the region. But, of course, on the political side,
the fact that Turkey and France don't see eye-to-eye would complicate
things, especially if the international community as a whole will
be asked to give their support for these countries for transition
towards better democracy," said Ulgen. "There, cooperation between
Turkey and [the] EU in general, but Turkey and France in particular,
would have been certainly helpful - but that's not likely to happen."
With the region at a critical and extremely volatile point in history,
observers warn the bilateral tensions, and especially the increasingly
bitter and personal rivalry between the leaders of France and Turkey,
could well become another destabilizing factor.
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Concern-That-Ill-Will-Between-Turkey-France-Could-Spread-131476443.html