Tweet
European Jewish Press
June 23 2012
Turkey restores diplomatic ties with new French administration
following Armenian `genocide' row
by: EJP
ANKARA (EJP)---Turkey has restored diplomatic ties with France,
following an Armenian `genocide' row which last year halted all
economic, political and military links with Paris.
Former President Nicolas Sarkozy had angered the Turkish authorities
when his right-wing UMP party backed a bill in France's lower house of
parliament to make it a legal requirement to refer to the 1915 mass
killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as a `genocide'.
Despite the successful championing of the bill by the then-president
in parliament, the law was overturned by France's highest court only
two months later. However this did little to placate the Islamist
country, which responded with outrage, claiming the move by Sarkozy
was a cynical ploy to court the votes of 500,000 ethnic Armenians
living in France, ahead of last month's closely fought Presidential
campaign against victorious Socialist candidate Francois Hollande.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced the decision to restore
diplomatic relations with France, following Hollande's succession to
the presidency, live on Turkish television, confirming the move had
been sanctioned by Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, following a
successful meeting between the two men at a G20 world summit in
Brazil.
Speaking to national news channel CNN Turk, Davutoglu said `the prime
minister gave the necessary instructions after meeting with Hollande.
Because of this new attitude from France, these sanctions will be
dropped', continuing to speak of hopes for `positive steps' to further
building on the relationship in the future and a planned meeting in
Paris on July 5.
Analysts have, however, responded to the announcement by claiming it
is a cynical move by the Turkish administration towards receiving
France's influential backing of its negotiations for membership of the
EU. Turkey made initial EU accession moves in 2005, before the
subsequent deterioration of its diplomatic relationship with Israel
following the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla incident, but made little
headway in negotiations, as a result of Sarkozy's opposition and a
dispute with forthcoming EU term president Cyprus.
Following the Socialist victory in France last month, Davutoglu issued
a statement saying Turkey looked to Hollande's succession to power as
an opportunity for `a new course in the Turkish-EU relations'. His
comments were followed up by an announcement that talks between Turkey
and the EU would be reopened with the EU Commissioner for Enlargement
Stefan Fuele scheduling a visit to Ankara to discuss policy as a
precursor to advancing its membership of the 27-member bloc.
The EU hopes that closer cooperation between Turkey and Europe will
help utilise the Islamist administration's influence in the Arab world
to monitor the increasingly fractured situation in Syria. When the
last integration talks ground to a halt seven years ago, Turkey turned
towards further developing its relationships with its Middle Eastern
neighbours.
One sticking point in its moves to membership is likely to be its
enmity of Cyprus, as Turkey continues to refuse to allow ships and
planes from the divided island of Cyprus to enter its ports and
airspace and has criticised Israel for increasing its bilateral
relations with Cyprus, which have significantly improved with the
discovery of offshore gas reserves.
Turkey remains convinced that membership of the EU would be mutually
beneficial, as its Minister in charge of EU affairs Egemen Bagis
insisted last month: `Turkey is changing, the EU is changing and the
new Europe cannot be without Turkey,' he declared, continuing: `Until
now, all countries that have started negotiations with the EU have
become full members. Turkey will not be the first exception.'
Armenia, backed by many historians and parliaments, says about 1.5
million Christian Armenians were killed in what is now eastern Turkey
during First World War.
One in a deliberate policy of genocide ordered by the Ottoman
government. Turkey says there was a heavy loss of life on both sides
during the fighting in which Armenian partisans supported invading
Russian forces.
The Ottoman Empire collapsed after the end of the war, but successive
Turkish governments and the vast majority of Turks feel the charge of
genocide is a direct insult to their nation.
http://www.ejpress.org/article/news/eastern_europe/59419
June 23 2012
Turkey restores diplomatic ties with new French administration
following Armenian `genocide' row
by: EJP
ANKARA (EJP)---Turkey has restored diplomatic ties with France,
following an Armenian `genocide' row which last year halted all
economic, political and military links with Paris.
Former President Nicolas Sarkozy had angered the Turkish authorities
when his right-wing UMP party backed a bill in France's lower house of
parliament to make it a legal requirement to refer to the 1915 mass
killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as a `genocide'.
Despite the successful championing of the bill by the then-president
in parliament, the law was overturned by France's highest court only
two months later. However this did little to placate the Islamist
country, which responded with outrage, claiming the move by Sarkozy
was a cynical ploy to court the votes of 500,000 ethnic Armenians
living in France, ahead of last month's closely fought Presidential
campaign against victorious Socialist candidate Francois Hollande.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced the decision to restore
diplomatic relations with France, following Hollande's succession to
the presidency, live on Turkish television, confirming the move had
been sanctioned by Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, following a
successful meeting between the two men at a G20 world summit in
Brazil.
Speaking to national news channel CNN Turk, Davutoglu said `the prime
minister gave the necessary instructions after meeting with Hollande.
Because of this new attitude from France, these sanctions will be
dropped', continuing to speak of hopes for `positive steps' to further
building on the relationship in the future and a planned meeting in
Paris on July 5.
Analysts have, however, responded to the announcement by claiming it
is a cynical move by the Turkish administration towards receiving
France's influential backing of its negotiations for membership of the
EU. Turkey made initial EU accession moves in 2005, before the
subsequent deterioration of its diplomatic relationship with Israel
following the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla incident, but made little
headway in negotiations, as a result of Sarkozy's opposition and a
dispute with forthcoming EU term president Cyprus.
Following the Socialist victory in France last month, Davutoglu issued
a statement saying Turkey looked to Hollande's succession to power as
an opportunity for `a new course in the Turkish-EU relations'. His
comments were followed up by an announcement that talks between Turkey
and the EU would be reopened with the EU Commissioner for Enlargement
Stefan Fuele scheduling a visit to Ankara to discuss policy as a
precursor to advancing its membership of the 27-member bloc.
The EU hopes that closer cooperation between Turkey and Europe will
help utilise the Islamist administration's influence in the Arab world
to monitor the increasingly fractured situation in Syria. When the
last integration talks ground to a halt seven years ago, Turkey turned
towards further developing its relationships with its Middle Eastern
neighbours.
One sticking point in its moves to membership is likely to be its
enmity of Cyprus, as Turkey continues to refuse to allow ships and
planes from the divided island of Cyprus to enter its ports and
airspace and has criticised Israel for increasing its bilateral
relations with Cyprus, which have significantly improved with the
discovery of offshore gas reserves.
Turkey remains convinced that membership of the EU would be mutually
beneficial, as its Minister in charge of EU affairs Egemen Bagis
insisted last month: `Turkey is changing, the EU is changing and the
new Europe cannot be without Turkey,' he declared, continuing: `Until
now, all countries that have started negotiations with the EU have
become full members. Turkey will not be the first exception.'
Armenia, backed by many historians and parliaments, says about 1.5
million Christian Armenians were killed in what is now eastern Turkey
during First World War.
One in a deliberate policy of genocide ordered by the Ottoman
government. Turkey says there was a heavy loss of life on both sides
during the fighting in which Armenian partisans supported invading
Russian forces.
The Ottoman Empire collapsed after the end of the war, but successive
Turkish governments and the vast majority of Turks feel the charge of
genocide is a direct insult to their nation.
http://www.ejpress.org/article/news/eastern_europe/59419