Zaman, Turkey
April 24 2005

Making so-called Genocide ‘Official History’, Paris Forgets Algeria

Published: Sunday 24, 2005
zaman.com

While we were preparing this story, the powerful Armenian lobby of
France rejected all our requests for interviews. Some even hung up
the phone on us when we said we were Turks.

Didier Billion, on the other hand, does not doubt the Armenian
genocide allegations at issue in the European Union (EU). Billion
notes that he could not be convinced that the Ottomans had committed
genocide and it would be more accurate to define the incident as a
massacre. He thinks the genocide law approved by theFrench Parliament
is “a big mistake”. Pointing out the lack of necessary historical
information to describe the 1915 happenings as genocide, Billion
notes that what happened can be solely characterized as a massacre;
but in the case that historians reveal information showing that a
genocide occured, his thoughts will change. ” The duty of the
deputies’ is to make law, not history. With such a decision, France
has made an ‘official history’. I am adverse to any ‘official
history’, whether in France or somewhere else. This law is
problematic in the operation of French democracy and in
French-Turkish relations. If we want deputies to give forth their
attitude about Algeria or the China-India Border War, it is
impossible to discuss these. We will not be free. Because there will
be an ‘official’ history line” says Billion. Stating that France has
not apologized to Algeria yet, Didier Billon said that the ambassador
in Algeria has made a handsome gesture of that kind a few weeks
before but no French president has apologized officially. To the
question “Why?” he has a clear answer; “Because Algeria is our
taboo.”