TURKISH PM ERDOGAN SLAMS FM SARKOZY’S ARMENIAN CONDITIONS
By Mihriban Kibar (JTW)
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Oct 11 2006
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan blasted conditions French
Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy laid down in return for voting down
a controversial bill penalizing any denial of the Armenian claims.
Presidential hopeful Sarkozy said on France-Inter radio that he had
spoken with Turkish PM Erdogan on the telephone twice with regard
to the French Armenian bill, which will be debated at the National
Assembly tomorrow, and told him that they could oppose the bill if
Turkey opens its border gate with neighboring Armenia, scrap Article
301, which the European Union says is restrictive of freedom of
expression, from its penal code, and establish a joint commission
between Turkey and Armenia to study the claims allegations.
In response to Sarkozy’s conditions, Turkish PM Erdogan said it
was the Turkish side which proposed the establishment of a joint
commission for academic debates on genocide allegations and made
clear that Turkey’s good intentions were not welcomed by Armenia,
which rejected the proposal. Erdogan called last year to establish
a commission between two sides, yet Yerevan strongly rejected the
offer claiming "there is nothing to be discussed".
On Article 301, Erdogan said the French suggestion on that issue
had nothing to do with the issue, stressing that France was not in a
position to demand something from Turkey. "First of all France should
take a look at itself," Erdogan said.
On opening the border gate, Erdoðan said Armenia should first act
with good will toward Turkey’s approach. The territorial border gate
between Turkey and Armenia has been closed for more than a decade.
Turkey closed the gate and severed its diplomatic relations with
Armenia after Armenian troops occupied about 20 percent of Azeri
territories, including Nagorno-Karabakh region and several other Azeri
towns. Armenia also does not recognize Turkey’s national borders and
name Turkey’s Eastern provinces ‘Western Armenia’.
Ankara now says normalization of ties depends on Armenian withdrawal
from Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as on progress in resolution of a
series of bilateral disagreements, including Armenia stopping to
support Armenian diaspora efforts to get international recognition
for the alleged genocide.
* "FRANCE IS NOT SINCERE"
JTW asked Sarkozy’s 3 conditions to the Turkish academicians. Dr.
Sedat laciner from USAK said "Sarkozy is not sincere in Armenian
issue. If he believes in the Armenian so-called genocide, how can he
trade it with any condition? If Turkey opens the territorial borders
with Armenia, how can it affect the ‘genocide’ claims. If it is
genocide, you can not make any bargain on it. What is the connection
between the 301 article and 1915 events. There are 301-like articles
in many EU states, like Italy. And this article I think does not
prevent any free discussion on Armenian issue. Turkey is not the most
free country on Armenian issue. There are many pro-Armenian Turkish
academicians and authors in Turkey and they can freely challenge the
official position. Also there are more than 100,000 Turkish Armenians
in Istanbul.".
* "GENOCIDE IS GENOCIDE, LIES ARE LIES"
Similarly Dr. Mehmet Ozcan, another Turkish EU expert, said "Sarkozy
is not the best Turkey expert. He is actually ignorant on Turkey and
Armenian issue". Ozcan explained why he thinks "Sarkozy is ignorant":
"In one his speech he said that Turkey is a 100 million people country,
which not true. Turkey’s population is about 70 million. In another
speech, Mr. Sarkozy implied that Turkey is an Arab country, which is of
course not true. Now he is speaking about Armenia and he calls Turkey’s
Anatolia territories Armenia. If someone calls Turkey as Armenia,
I question his Turkey knowledge. And 3 conditions, if it is genocide,
you cannot put any condition. Genocide is genocide, and lies are lies."
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