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TURKISH-FRENCH SPRING MAY END EARLY DUE TO NEW BILL OVER 'GENOCIDE' DENIAL
by Sinem Cengiz
Today's Zaman
July 9 2012
Turkey
The election of Francois Hollande as president of France, replacing
Nicolas Sarkozy, raised hopes for a new chapter in Turkish-French
ties - a prospect that was further strengthened after the new
French government signalled readiness to abandon a contentious law
to criminalize denial of Armenian claims of genocide - but a recent
statement from the Elysee Palace that the president is indeed committed
to introducing a new law indicates that a reconciliation may not be
just around the corner.
The statement from Hollande's office followed an announcement from
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu last week that all sanctions
imposed against France in the past in protest of its "Armenian
genocide" policy had been lifted after the new French administration
signalled abandoning plans first drafted by the previous administration
to pass a law criminalizing the denial of genocide claims that 1.5
million Armenians were slaughtered in a systematic genocide campaign
by the Ottoman Empire.
"As a result of the few difficulties which we have experienced in
the past, Turkey took a series of measures against France, but I'd
like to announce that these measures have been completely removed,"
Davutoglu said at a joint news conference with his French counterpart,
Laurent Fabius, in Paris on Thursday.
Fabius then signalled that the French government will not resurrect the
law, which was nullified by the country's top court on the grounds that
it was against free speech, saying that his government is unlikely to
do what the previous government did given that the law was dismissed
by the Constitutional Council.
But Hollande has contacted a French Armenian group, the Coordination
Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF), and explained to
them that he will propose a similar law, according to a statement from
the group on Saturday. "Hollande has again expressed his willingness to
propose a bill designed to curb the denial of the Armenian genocide,
as he had said during his campaign and even before," said the group,
adding that Hollande contacted CCAF to clarify his position after
confusion over Fabius' statements.
Hollande's office also confirmed the conversation, French news agency
AFP reported. "The president expressed his commitments during the
campaign. He will keep them. There is no change, although we must
find a path, a road that allows for a text that is consistent with
the constitution," AFP quoted a statement from Elysee Palace as saying.
A Turkish diplomatic official who spoke to Today's Zaman on the
condition of anonymity on Sunday said that with Hollande's election,
Turkey was not expecting the debate between the two countries regarding
the 1915 genocide claims to come to an end. "Turkey is aware of
the relations between the Socialist Party and the Armenian lobby in
France. Therefore, Turkey didn't think that the Armenian claims in
France would end with the election of Hollande," said the official.
The Turkish official added that Turkey would follow the developments
regarding the issue, adding that unless an official statement was
made by Hollande regarding the new law, Turkey would only pay heed
to the statements made by the French foreign minister.
Regarding Davutoglu's visit to France, the official said that it
was a fruitful visit, adding that the initial political will came
from France.
The law criminalizing denial of genocide claims was first promoted
by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy's Union for a Popular
Movement (UMP) party. Ankara cancelled all economic, political and
military meetings with Paris in December after France's lower house of
parliament voted in favour of the draft law. It was also passed in the
Senate but was annulled by the Constitutional Council, which deemed it
in contravention of the constitutional principle of freedom of speech.
Speaking to Today's Zaman in a phone interview on Sunday, Mustafa
Kutlay, an analyst at Ankara's International Strategic Research
Organization (USAK), said that if the "Armenian genocide" debate came
onto Turkish-French agenda again, the relations between two countries
would be seriously harmed. "Turkey's relations with France had already
deteriorated due to Sarkozy's stance towards the Armenian genocide
issue. Turkey was relying on Hollande, but if Hollande brings the
same issue onto the agenda, Turkey would adopt a similar stance to
the one it assumed towards Sarkozy. Turkey will raise its voice if
the issue comes up again," said Kutlay.
Turkish-French ties deteriorated sharply during Sarkozy's rule, not
only because of the genocide debate but also due to the former French
leader's outspoken opposition to Turkish membership in the EU. Thus,
his election defeat in June opened the door for a new era between
France and Turkey, with Ankara praising the new administration's
willingness to restore ties. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met
with Hollande on the sidelines of a UN meeting in Brazil, when the
two leaders agreed to turn a "new page" in relations.
"Turkey was hopeful of Hollande because the newly elected French
president was positive towards Turkey-EU relations. If Hollande brings
up the genocide issue as a factor that would affect Turkey's relations
with the EU, then not only would Turkey's relations with France be
affected, but also its relations with the EU would be affected,"
said Kutlay.
by Sinem Cengiz
Today's Zaman
July 9 2012
Turkey
The election of Francois Hollande as president of France, replacing
Nicolas Sarkozy, raised hopes for a new chapter in Turkish-French
ties - a prospect that was further strengthened after the new
French government signalled readiness to abandon a contentious law
to criminalize denial of Armenian claims of genocide - but a recent
statement from the Elysee Palace that the president is indeed committed
to introducing a new law indicates that a reconciliation may not be
just around the corner.
The statement from Hollande's office followed an announcement from
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu last week that all sanctions
imposed against France in the past in protest of its "Armenian
genocide" policy had been lifted after the new French administration
signalled abandoning plans first drafted by the previous administration
to pass a law criminalizing the denial of genocide claims that 1.5
million Armenians were slaughtered in a systematic genocide campaign
by the Ottoman Empire.
"As a result of the few difficulties which we have experienced in
the past, Turkey took a series of measures against France, but I'd
like to announce that these measures have been completely removed,"
Davutoglu said at a joint news conference with his French counterpart,
Laurent Fabius, in Paris on Thursday.
Fabius then signalled that the French government will not resurrect the
law, which was nullified by the country's top court on the grounds that
it was against free speech, saying that his government is unlikely to
do what the previous government did given that the law was dismissed
by the Constitutional Council.
But Hollande has contacted a French Armenian group, the Coordination
Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF), and explained to
them that he will propose a similar law, according to a statement from
the group on Saturday. "Hollande has again expressed his willingness to
propose a bill designed to curb the denial of the Armenian genocide,
as he had said during his campaign and even before," said the group,
adding that Hollande contacted CCAF to clarify his position after
confusion over Fabius' statements.
Hollande's office also confirmed the conversation, French news agency
AFP reported. "The president expressed his commitments during the
campaign. He will keep them. There is no change, although we must
find a path, a road that allows for a text that is consistent with
the constitution," AFP quoted a statement from Elysee Palace as saying.
A Turkish diplomatic official who spoke to Today's Zaman on the
condition of anonymity on Sunday said that with Hollande's election,
Turkey was not expecting the debate between the two countries regarding
the 1915 genocide claims to come to an end. "Turkey is aware of
the relations between the Socialist Party and the Armenian lobby in
France. Therefore, Turkey didn't think that the Armenian claims in
France would end with the election of Hollande," said the official.
The Turkish official added that Turkey would follow the developments
regarding the issue, adding that unless an official statement was
made by Hollande regarding the new law, Turkey would only pay heed
to the statements made by the French foreign minister.
Regarding Davutoglu's visit to France, the official said that it
was a fruitful visit, adding that the initial political will came
from France.
The law criminalizing denial of genocide claims was first promoted
by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy's Union for a Popular
Movement (UMP) party. Ankara cancelled all economic, political and
military meetings with Paris in December after France's lower house of
parliament voted in favour of the draft law. It was also passed in the
Senate but was annulled by the Constitutional Council, which deemed it
in contravention of the constitutional principle of freedom of speech.
Speaking to Today's Zaman in a phone interview on Sunday, Mustafa
Kutlay, an analyst at Ankara's International Strategic Research
Organization (USAK), said that if the "Armenian genocide" debate came
onto Turkish-French agenda again, the relations between two countries
would be seriously harmed. "Turkey's relations with France had already
deteriorated due to Sarkozy's stance towards the Armenian genocide
issue. Turkey was relying on Hollande, but if Hollande brings the
same issue onto the agenda, Turkey would adopt a similar stance to
the one it assumed towards Sarkozy. Turkey will raise its voice if
the issue comes up again," said Kutlay.
Turkish-French ties deteriorated sharply during Sarkozy's rule, not
only because of the genocide debate but also due to the former French
leader's outspoken opposition to Turkish membership in the EU. Thus,
his election defeat in June opened the door for a new era between
France and Turkey, with Ankara praising the new administration's
willingness to restore ties. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met
with Hollande on the sidelines of a UN meeting in Brazil, when the
two leaders agreed to turn a "new page" in relations.
"Turkey was hopeful of Hollande because the newly elected French
president was positive towards Turkey-EU relations. If Hollande brings
up the genocide issue as a factor that would affect Turkey's relations
with the EU, then not only would Turkey's relations with France be
affected, but also its relations with the EU would be affected,"
said Kutlay.