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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Jan 27 2012
Clinton says judgment on history opens dangerous door, French bill
faces further int'l reaction
27 January 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, ANKARA
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed caution regarding
legislation that passes judgment on history, referring to a bill
recently passed by the French Senate that criminalizes denying that
the killings of Armenians in 1915 constituted genocide.
`To try to use the power of the government to resolve historical
issues, in my opinion, opens a door that is a very dangerous one to go
through,' Clinton was quoted by the Associated Press news agency as
saying on Thursday. Clinton's call for caution when handling
historical issues signaled an attempt to sidestep the ongoing dispute
between Turkey and France, the AP commented.
In response to questions demanding why the US has refrained from
passing a bill that would match the recent move of the French
government, Clinton said that Washington was wary of compromising free
speech and the issue was best left for scholars to handle.
Late on Wednesday night, US Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone
told a group of media representatives in the city that Turkey must
face its history to fully become the country it wants to be, noting
that he had seen signs the country was moving in that direction.
Ricciardone noted that all countries had painful moments in their
histories, but it was necessary to acknowledge them alongside the
glorious moments.
Although the US unofficially recognizes the killings of Armenians by
Ottoman Turks at the onset of World War I, US presidents have
traditionally refrained from describing the incidents as `genocide,' a
term belonging to the sphere of international law. Every April, when
Armenians all over the world commemorate what they believe to be the
beginning of the alleged genocide almost a hundred years ago, eyes
turn to the US president to see whether he will publically use the
term. So far, no US president has used the word genocide when
referring to the killings.
Although there is political support for the French bill, which is due
to become law next week, after formally receiving the French
president's signature it was slammed by French civil institutions as
well as international organizations, which stress that such a
punishment confronts the French ideals of freedom of expression.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published an open letter, in which its
Secretary-General Jean-François Julliard addresses the French
parliament, to reiterate the organization's concerns about the
proposed law.
`The exchanges between the law's supporters and opponents, involving
leading figures and going to the very heart of our fundamental rights,
have been so heated that even its supporters must realize that the
Constitutional Council's opinion is indispensible,' Julliard stated in
the letter, with reference to the argument that the bill, if it
becomes law, might violate the French constitution. `We therefore urge
you to demand its referral to the Council,' he added.
`There are four key aspects of the law that disturb us: A conflict
with the principle of the right to free expression, a lack of
proportionality between the offence and penalty, a violation of
parliament's competence and a lack of clarity in the wording,'
Julliard added, highlighting his organization's concerns.
Ara BaÅ?lık: Bosnia-Herzegovina calls on France to recognize genocide
in Srebrenitsa
In the belief that France was moving toward adopting a bill that
passes judgment on a disputed historical event, the parliament of
Bosnia-Herzegovina has urged Paris to draft a law on the Bosnian
genocide of the `90s, Turkey's Star daily reported on Friday.
A Bosnian lawmaker, Safet KeÅ?o, has prepared a proposal for his
parliament to penalize denial of the Bosnian genocide in Srebrenitsa.
During the period thousands of Bosnian civilians, including women and
children, were systematically killed by the Bosnia-Serbian army, which
is speculated to have been supplied by Serbian troops. Bosnians now
seek to send a proposal to the French Parliament, as KeÅ?o stated that
everybody, including France, was witness to Srebrenitsa. `It would
make much more sense if they [The French Parliament] showed interest
in genocides recognized and witnessed internationally; it is
ridiculous of them to deal with incidents they did not even witness,'
KeÅ?o was quoted as saying by the daily.
Jan 27 2012
Clinton says judgment on history opens dangerous door, French bill
faces further int'l reaction
27 January 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, ANKARA
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed caution regarding
legislation that passes judgment on history, referring to a bill
recently passed by the French Senate that criminalizes denying that
the killings of Armenians in 1915 constituted genocide.
`To try to use the power of the government to resolve historical
issues, in my opinion, opens a door that is a very dangerous one to go
through,' Clinton was quoted by the Associated Press news agency as
saying on Thursday. Clinton's call for caution when handling
historical issues signaled an attempt to sidestep the ongoing dispute
between Turkey and France, the AP commented.
In response to questions demanding why the US has refrained from
passing a bill that would match the recent move of the French
government, Clinton said that Washington was wary of compromising free
speech and the issue was best left for scholars to handle.
Late on Wednesday night, US Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone
told a group of media representatives in the city that Turkey must
face its history to fully become the country it wants to be, noting
that he had seen signs the country was moving in that direction.
Ricciardone noted that all countries had painful moments in their
histories, but it was necessary to acknowledge them alongside the
glorious moments.
Although the US unofficially recognizes the killings of Armenians by
Ottoman Turks at the onset of World War I, US presidents have
traditionally refrained from describing the incidents as `genocide,' a
term belonging to the sphere of international law. Every April, when
Armenians all over the world commemorate what they believe to be the
beginning of the alleged genocide almost a hundred years ago, eyes
turn to the US president to see whether he will publically use the
term. So far, no US president has used the word genocide when
referring to the killings.
Although there is political support for the French bill, which is due
to become law next week, after formally receiving the French
president's signature it was slammed by French civil institutions as
well as international organizations, which stress that such a
punishment confronts the French ideals of freedom of expression.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published an open letter, in which its
Secretary-General Jean-François Julliard addresses the French
parliament, to reiterate the organization's concerns about the
proposed law.
`The exchanges between the law's supporters and opponents, involving
leading figures and going to the very heart of our fundamental rights,
have been so heated that even its supporters must realize that the
Constitutional Council's opinion is indispensible,' Julliard stated in
the letter, with reference to the argument that the bill, if it
becomes law, might violate the French constitution. `We therefore urge
you to demand its referral to the Council,' he added.
`There are four key aspects of the law that disturb us: A conflict
with the principle of the right to free expression, a lack of
proportionality between the offence and penalty, a violation of
parliament's competence and a lack of clarity in the wording,'
Julliard added, highlighting his organization's concerns.
Ara BaÅ?lık: Bosnia-Herzegovina calls on France to recognize genocide
in Srebrenitsa
In the belief that France was moving toward adopting a bill that
passes judgment on a disputed historical event, the parliament of
Bosnia-Herzegovina has urged Paris to draft a law on the Bosnian
genocide of the `90s, Turkey's Star daily reported on Friday.
A Bosnian lawmaker, Safet KeÅ?o, has prepared a proposal for his
parliament to penalize denial of the Bosnian genocide in Srebrenitsa.
During the period thousands of Bosnian civilians, including women and
children, were systematically killed by the Bosnia-Serbian army, which
is speculated to have been supplied by Serbian troops. Bosnians now
seek to send a proposal to the French Parliament, as KeÅ?o stated that
everybody, including France, was witness to Srebrenitsa. `It would
make much more sense if they [The French Parliament] showed interest
in genocides recognized and witnessed internationally; it is
ridiculous of them to deal with incidents they did not even witness,'
KeÅ?o was quoted as saying by the daily.