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TURKEY WARNS OF INCREASED REACTION TO FRENCH DENIAL BILL, READIES MEASURES
Today's Zaman
Jan 23 2012
The French Senate votes on the controversial
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned hours before a French
Senate debate on a denial bill that runs a high risk of wrecking
Turkish-French ties that the bill could provoke reactions from
"hundreds of thousands" if it passes through the senate, pledging
Turkey would reciprocate a senate approval in its own determined
fashion.
"We see tens of thousands of our brothers, our kin, gathered in
Paris, which proves how strong a reaction the bill will receive
[in the event it passes as law]," Erdogan told reporters on Monday,
referencing demonstrations in France over the weekend against the
denial bill the French Senate was scheduled to debate later on
Monday. The denial bill seeks punishment for anyone who refuses to
term the killings of Armenians in 1915 by Ottoman Turk as genocide,
on the grounds that such a rejection is equal to making racist and
xenophobic remarks and can spark hatred in French society.
Contrary to the French argument, Turkey has been fighting the bill,
saying that such a move would mean blocking freedom of expression in
France and take away Turks' right to defend their ancestors against
the alleged crime of genocide, a claim Turkey takes as an insult to
its identity.
"The issue they [the French Senate] are debating now is foremost
in denial of freedoms France has laid a claim on up until today,"
Erdogan was quoted by the Anatolia news agency as telling reporters,
as he suggested the bill would also be contradictory to human rights
and could spark demonstrations from "hundreds of thousands of people,"
who would react to the French move.
The Turkish prime minister also announced Turkey had "decisions to
make in response to the decision the French Senate is going to make
today," signaling Turkey is readying to counter the French move with
measures if it passes through the French Senate.
Erdogan may not visit France if bill passes In response to reporters'
questions, Erdogan raised the possibility on Monday that his future
visits to France might fall under question in the event the bill
passes as law in France. A day prior to Erdogan's remarks, Deputy
Prime Minister Bulent Arınc speculated the French bill could
jeopardize visits from senior Turkish officials to France. Arınc
rhetorically asked what French officials would do if Erdogan said,
"1915 is not genocide," during a visit to France. French President
Nicolas Sarkozy noted in a recent letter he sent to Erdogan that the
law would only affect French citizens and be applicable in France,
to dismiss speculations senior Turkish officials might fall victim
to the controversial bill during their visits to France.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also warned France on Monday Turkey
is ready to take new measures against Paris, in a last-ditch push to
fend off the bill that would make it a crime to deny the killing of
Armenians by Ottoman Turks was genocide.
Turkey briefly recalled its ambassador to Paris and suspended military,
economic and political ties when the bill was passed in France's
lower house last month. Forty-thousand Turks from all over Europe
gathered in Paris on Saturday to raise their voice against the Senate
debate, hoping the Senate might drop the bill off the agenda or vote
against it.
A new era of Inquisition will be opened in Europe Speaking to reporters
on Monday before the French Senate session that has the power to
define the outcome of an "Armenian genocide" controversy, Davutoglu
said his country has already planned out potential measures. "The
steps we will take in case the bill passes as law have already been
determined," Davutoglu was quoted as saying by Anatolia, but he did
not elaborate on what those steps might include.
"Turkey will continue to implement sanctions as long as this bill
remains on the table," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
stated. "We hope, however, this won't be necessary, and common sense
will reign in the French Senate."
The foreign minister had earlier voiced late Sunday evening Turkey's
determination to respond to the bill, saying his country would take
"new and permanent" measures against France in the event French
senators do not reject the bill. His message appeared to be a
response to critics who claimed Turkey vowed measures against France
in 2001 when the French Senate recognized the incidents of 1915 as
"Armenian genocide" perpetrated by Ottoman Turks, but they didn't
amount to anything. "Turkey is not what it was in 2001," he noted,
with clear reference to his ruling Justice and Development Party's
(AK Party) assumption of leadership of Turkish politics in 2003,
which changed the way the country behaved.
Similarly, AK Party Deputy Chairman Omer Celik said on Monday measures
against France would be permanent, not temporary, if the bill passes.
Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag also stated, "It is clear relations
between Turkey and France will not be the same," Anatolia reported.
Meanwhile, the European Democratic and Social Rally (RDSE) in
the French Senate defined the bill as "dangerous and unnecessary,"
Anatolia reported on Monday. RDSE's group chairman Jacques Mézard
and member Jean-Michel Baylet held a joint press conference on Monday
and said they would vote "no" on the bill.
The bill sets a punishment of up to one year in prison and a fine
of 45,000 euros for those who deny or "outrageously minimize" the
killings -- putting such action on par with denial of the Holocaust.
France formally recognized the 1915 killings as genocide in 2001 but
provided no penalty for anyone who rejected it.
Turkey maintains there was no systematic campaign to kill Armenians
and that many Turks also died during the chaotic disintegration of
the Ottoman Empire.
Turkey has argued the bill would compromise freedom of expression
in France.
"European values are under threat," Davutoglu said Monday. "If each
parliament takes decisions containing its own views of history and
implements them, a new era of Inquisition will be opened in Europe."
"Those who voice views that exclude this view of history will be
jailed," he said. "It would, unfortunately, be a great shame for
France to revive this."
Today's Zaman
Jan 23 2012
The French Senate votes on the controversial
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned hours before a French
Senate debate on a denial bill that runs a high risk of wrecking
Turkish-French ties that the bill could provoke reactions from
"hundreds of thousands" if it passes through the senate, pledging
Turkey would reciprocate a senate approval in its own determined
fashion.
"We see tens of thousands of our brothers, our kin, gathered in
Paris, which proves how strong a reaction the bill will receive
[in the event it passes as law]," Erdogan told reporters on Monday,
referencing demonstrations in France over the weekend against the
denial bill the French Senate was scheduled to debate later on
Monday. The denial bill seeks punishment for anyone who refuses to
term the killings of Armenians in 1915 by Ottoman Turk as genocide,
on the grounds that such a rejection is equal to making racist and
xenophobic remarks and can spark hatred in French society.
Contrary to the French argument, Turkey has been fighting the bill,
saying that such a move would mean blocking freedom of expression in
France and take away Turks' right to defend their ancestors against
the alleged crime of genocide, a claim Turkey takes as an insult to
its identity.
"The issue they [the French Senate] are debating now is foremost
in denial of freedoms France has laid a claim on up until today,"
Erdogan was quoted by the Anatolia news agency as telling reporters,
as he suggested the bill would also be contradictory to human rights
and could spark demonstrations from "hundreds of thousands of people,"
who would react to the French move.
The Turkish prime minister also announced Turkey had "decisions to
make in response to the decision the French Senate is going to make
today," signaling Turkey is readying to counter the French move with
measures if it passes through the French Senate.
Erdogan may not visit France if bill passes In response to reporters'
questions, Erdogan raised the possibility on Monday that his future
visits to France might fall under question in the event the bill
passes as law in France. A day prior to Erdogan's remarks, Deputy
Prime Minister Bulent Arınc speculated the French bill could
jeopardize visits from senior Turkish officials to France. Arınc
rhetorically asked what French officials would do if Erdogan said,
"1915 is not genocide," during a visit to France. French President
Nicolas Sarkozy noted in a recent letter he sent to Erdogan that the
law would only affect French citizens and be applicable in France,
to dismiss speculations senior Turkish officials might fall victim
to the controversial bill during their visits to France.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also warned France on Monday Turkey
is ready to take new measures against Paris, in a last-ditch push to
fend off the bill that would make it a crime to deny the killing of
Armenians by Ottoman Turks was genocide.
Turkey briefly recalled its ambassador to Paris and suspended military,
economic and political ties when the bill was passed in France's
lower house last month. Forty-thousand Turks from all over Europe
gathered in Paris on Saturday to raise their voice against the Senate
debate, hoping the Senate might drop the bill off the agenda or vote
against it.
A new era of Inquisition will be opened in Europe Speaking to reporters
on Monday before the French Senate session that has the power to
define the outcome of an "Armenian genocide" controversy, Davutoglu
said his country has already planned out potential measures. "The
steps we will take in case the bill passes as law have already been
determined," Davutoglu was quoted as saying by Anatolia, but he did
not elaborate on what those steps might include.
"Turkey will continue to implement sanctions as long as this bill
remains on the table," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
stated. "We hope, however, this won't be necessary, and common sense
will reign in the French Senate."
The foreign minister had earlier voiced late Sunday evening Turkey's
determination to respond to the bill, saying his country would take
"new and permanent" measures against France in the event French
senators do not reject the bill. His message appeared to be a
response to critics who claimed Turkey vowed measures against France
in 2001 when the French Senate recognized the incidents of 1915 as
"Armenian genocide" perpetrated by Ottoman Turks, but they didn't
amount to anything. "Turkey is not what it was in 2001," he noted,
with clear reference to his ruling Justice and Development Party's
(AK Party) assumption of leadership of Turkish politics in 2003,
which changed the way the country behaved.
Similarly, AK Party Deputy Chairman Omer Celik said on Monday measures
against France would be permanent, not temporary, if the bill passes.
Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag also stated, "It is clear relations
between Turkey and France will not be the same," Anatolia reported.
Meanwhile, the European Democratic and Social Rally (RDSE) in
the French Senate defined the bill as "dangerous and unnecessary,"
Anatolia reported on Monday. RDSE's group chairman Jacques Mézard
and member Jean-Michel Baylet held a joint press conference on Monday
and said they would vote "no" on the bill.
The bill sets a punishment of up to one year in prison and a fine
of 45,000 euros for those who deny or "outrageously minimize" the
killings -- putting such action on par with denial of the Holocaust.
France formally recognized the 1915 killings as genocide in 2001 but
provided no penalty for anyone who rejected it.
Turkey maintains there was no systematic campaign to kill Armenians
and that many Turks also died during the chaotic disintegration of
the Ottoman Empire.
Turkey has argued the bill would compromise freedom of expression
in France.
"European values are under threat," Davutoglu said Monday. "If each
parliament takes decisions containing its own views of history and
implements them, a new era of Inquisition will be opened in Europe."
"Those who voice views that exclude this view of history will be
jailed," he said. "It would, unfortunately, be a great shame for
France to revive this."