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ALGERIA URGES TURKEY TO STOP TRYING TO MAKE POLITICAL CAPITAL OUT OF FRANCE'S KILLING OF THOUSANDS OF ALGERIANS
Garibov Konstantin
The Voice of Russia
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/01/17/64006072.html
Jan 17 2012
The diplomatic row between Turkey and France has intensified with
Turkey accusing France of committing "genocide" in Algeria in the 1940s
and 1950s. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan made a statement to
this effect, a ratcheting up of rhetoric over controversial French
legislation that would criminalize any public denial of what the bill
calls the Armenian genocide of the last century in Ottoman Turkey.
In response, Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia urged Turkey to
stop trying to make political capital out of France's killing of
thousands of Algerians during the colonial period.
France takes its time leaving hostile moves by Turkey without
response. Turkey has renamed the Ankara street where the French
Embassy is situated from Parisian to Algerian, and announced plans
to call Charles de Gaulle Street by a name of a prominent Algerian
rebel leader and build a monument to Algerian victims of the killings
in the vicinity to the French Embassy.
Professor of Saint-Petersburg University Alexander Sotnichenko
describes this asymmetrical response by Turkey as a huge blunder:
"This is a political cock-up. France and Algeria have long ago seen
eye to eye on the issue. France has been waging a colonial war in
Algeria, and Algeria fought for its independence during the protracted
liberation war. Nonetheless, the issue is not of any importance for
their current bilateral relations, as the sides have built strong
political, economic and cultural ties and have no plans to review
them."
On the contrary, the Turkish genocide of Armenians is one of the
primary issues in Turkey. It even became the main obstacle for the
country's attempts to join the European Union. Europe has already
made up its mind: there is no place for Turkey there, and France's
President Nikolas Sarkozy decided to use anti-Turkish sentiments
ahead of the presidential elections.
The French bill needs the approval of the Upper House before it becomes
law. French politicians are eager to get the votes of influential
Armenian Diaspora, which is the largest in Europe. This is one
of the reasons why France has not responded to the Turkish moves
yet. Political scientist Stanislav Tarasov says that it is trying to
hush it up and act as if nothing happened.
"Turkey has decided to play an Algerian card, but that is very
unfortunate. The Algerian reaction was very accurate. If Turkey tries
to teach Egypt or Tunisia, the response will be the same - you have
got to solve your own issues, but not at the expense of other nations.
This is especially so because the Turkish genocide of Armenians has
been recently acknowledged by several European countries."
Armenians say up to 1.5 million people were killed by the Ottoman
Turks in 1915-16.
During World War I, Turkey supported Germany in the war against Russia,
England and France. Ankara says closer to 300,000 people died, and that
Turks were also killed as Armenians rose up against the Ottoman Empire
when Russian troops invaded eastern Anatolia, now eastern Turkey.
More than 20 countries, including Russia, have formally recognized
the killings as genocide.
Garibov Konstantin
The Voice of Russia
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/01/17/64006072.html
Jan 17 2012
The diplomatic row between Turkey and France has intensified with
Turkey accusing France of committing "genocide" in Algeria in the 1940s
and 1950s. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan made a statement to
this effect, a ratcheting up of rhetoric over controversial French
legislation that would criminalize any public denial of what the bill
calls the Armenian genocide of the last century in Ottoman Turkey.
In response, Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia urged Turkey to
stop trying to make political capital out of France's killing of
thousands of Algerians during the colonial period.
France takes its time leaving hostile moves by Turkey without
response. Turkey has renamed the Ankara street where the French
Embassy is situated from Parisian to Algerian, and announced plans
to call Charles de Gaulle Street by a name of a prominent Algerian
rebel leader and build a monument to Algerian victims of the killings
in the vicinity to the French Embassy.
Professor of Saint-Petersburg University Alexander Sotnichenko
describes this asymmetrical response by Turkey as a huge blunder:
"This is a political cock-up. France and Algeria have long ago seen
eye to eye on the issue. France has been waging a colonial war in
Algeria, and Algeria fought for its independence during the protracted
liberation war. Nonetheless, the issue is not of any importance for
their current bilateral relations, as the sides have built strong
political, economic and cultural ties and have no plans to review
them."
On the contrary, the Turkish genocide of Armenians is one of the
primary issues in Turkey. It even became the main obstacle for the
country's attempts to join the European Union. Europe has already
made up its mind: there is no place for Turkey there, and France's
President Nikolas Sarkozy decided to use anti-Turkish sentiments
ahead of the presidential elections.
The French bill needs the approval of the Upper House before it becomes
law. French politicians are eager to get the votes of influential
Armenian Diaspora, which is the largest in Europe. This is one
of the reasons why France has not responded to the Turkish moves
yet. Political scientist Stanislav Tarasov says that it is trying to
hush it up and act as if nothing happened.
"Turkey has decided to play an Algerian card, but that is very
unfortunate. The Algerian reaction was very accurate. If Turkey tries
to teach Egypt or Tunisia, the response will be the same - you have
got to solve your own issues, but not at the expense of other nations.
This is especially so because the Turkish genocide of Armenians has
been recently acknowledged by several European countries."
Armenians say up to 1.5 million people were killed by the Ottoman
Turks in 1915-16.
During World War I, Turkey supported Germany in the war against Russia,
England and France. Ankara says closer to 300,000 people died, and that
Turks were also killed as Armenians rose up against the Ottoman Empire
when Russian troops invaded eastern Anatolia, now eastern Turkey.
More than 20 countries, including Russia, have formally recognized
the killings as genocide.