LOOK WHO'S TALKING: NICOLAS SARKOZY
by Ihsan Bal
Journal of Turkish Weekly
Oct 12 2011
As the election period approaches, the election fever of politicians
may overcome their minds. However, it is clear that there is a degree
of approval for this.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is a politician who pushes limits
with his ability to bring speeches of the extreme right to the center.
As the general mood of European policy-which is in a period of crisis
in terms of the socio-economic sense-shifted to blame foreigners,
it seems Sarkozy is looking for a different channel to benefit from
and a new target group.
Within this frame; just before the presidential elections, Sarkozy's
strategy is to convey a message to the strong Armenian lobby in France
from Armenia. As it is known, the best way to impress Armenians is by
going back a hundred years to 1915 and using this tragedy as material.
During his visit to the South Caucasus, Sarkozy went to Yerevan,
capital of Armenia, and it seems he has grabbed his prey in its
homeland. By repeating his support for Armenian claims regarding
events that occurred in 1915, he is trying to draw the attention of
the Armenian lobby by calling for Turkey to face history.
In this manner, mentorship can be recognized from his speeches. He
claims that denying "a historical truth" as a society is worse than
individual ignorance, and argues that big countries like Turkey should
act in an honorable way and face historical truths.
Sarkozy assigns the responsibility of monitoring this honorable
position to France. He warns that in case Turkey will not recognize
the genocide, France will follow up on this issue and take it even
further. Sarkozy's plan in the French parliament to accept the
denying of the Armenian genocide as a crime just like the denying of
the Jewish genocide in Nazi Germany, is a concrete promise given to
Armenian lobby.
Sarkozy's Act as Ethics Policeman
First of all, improving relations between Turkey and Armenia and
Turkey's facing its history are subjects and responsibilities
of Armenian and Turkish societies. Third parties who will act as
negotiators within this regard should have clean hands and a clear
conscience. In addition to massacres in Africa, Algeria, and finally
in Ivory Coast, France's approach and attitude against North Africans
living in France, a significant portion of them French nationals,
is a great tragedy experienced in recent history.
In 2005, an authority who ended street protests of North African
immigrants, of whom a majority were unemployed, insulted, and
ostracized, by using brutal force was Interior Minister Sarkozy.
Sarkozy's words "Don't worry we will eradicate you very soon," which
he directed toward the abovementioned activists and suburban society
was an expression of his subconscious thoughts.
As is commonly said, "people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw
stones," or similarly but in different words, "let he who is without
sin cast the first stone."
On one hand, you will be an imperialist, colonialist, and divisive
country full of tragedies in history, and on the other hand act as
an ethics policeman. Sarkozy should question the history of his own
country before blaming somebody on an ethical basis.
On the other hand, if all these attempts are just for increasing
his ratings through the Armenian lobby, which is at low levels in
public opinion surveys right now, this will be a great example of
his problematic presence in political, ethical, and moral senses.
http://www.turkishweekly.net/columnist/3530/look-who-39-s-talking-nicolas-sarkozy-.html
by Ihsan Bal
Journal of Turkish Weekly
Oct 12 2011
As the election period approaches, the election fever of politicians
may overcome their minds. However, it is clear that there is a degree
of approval for this.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is a politician who pushes limits
with his ability to bring speeches of the extreme right to the center.
As the general mood of European policy-which is in a period of crisis
in terms of the socio-economic sense-shifted to blame foreigners,
it seems Sarkozy is looking for a different channel to benefit from
and a new target group.
Within this frame; just before the presidential elections, Sarkozy's
strategy is to convey a message to the strong Armenian lobby in France
from Armenia. As it is known, the best way to impress Armenians is by
going back a hundred years to 1915 and using this tragedy as material.
During his visit to the South Caucasus, Sarkozy went to Yerevan,
capital of Armenia, and it seems he has grabbed his prey in its
homeland. By repeating his support for Armenian claims regarding
events that occurred in 1915, he is trying to draw the attention of
the Armenian lobby by calling for Turkey to face history.
In this manner, mentorship can be recognized from his speeches. He
claims that denying "a historical truth" as a society is worse than
individual ignorance, and argues that big countries like Turkey should
act in an honorable way and face historical truths.
Sarkozy assigns the responsibility of monitoring this honorable
position to France. He warns that in case Turkey will not recognize
the genocide, France will follow up on this issue and take it even
further. Sarkozy's plan in the French parliament to accept the
denying of the Armenian genocide as a crime just like the denying of
the Jewish genocide in Nazi Germany, is a concrete promise given to
Armenian lobby.
Sarkozy's Act as Ethics Policeman
First of all, improving relations between Turkey and Armenia and
Turkey's facing its history are subjects and responsibilities
of Armenian and Turkish societies. Third parties who will act as
negotiators within this regard should have clean hands and a clear
conscience. In addition to massacres in Africa, Algeria, and finally
in Ivory Coast, France's approach and attitude against North Africans
living in France, a significant portion of them French nationals,
is a great tragedy experienced in recent history.
In 2005, an authority who ended street protests of North African
immigrants, of whom a majority were unemployed, insulted, and
ostracized, by using brutal force was Interior Minister Sarkozy.
Sarkozy's words "Don't worry we will eradicate you very soon," which
he directed toward the abovementioned activists and suburban society
was an expression of his subconscious thoughts.
As is commonly said, "people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw
stones," or similarly but in different words, "let he who is without
sin cast the first stone."
On one hand, you will be an imperialist, colonialist, and divisive
country full of tragedies in history, and on the other hand act as
an ethics policeman. Sarkozy should question the history of his own
country before blaming somebody on an ethical basis.
On the other hand, if all these attempts are just for increasing
his ratings through the Armenian lobby, which is at low levels in
public opinion surveys right now, this will be a great example of
his problematic presence in political, ethical, and moral senses.
http://www.turkishweekly.net/columnist/3530/look-who-39-s-talking-nicolas-sarkozy-.html