The New Anatolian, Turkey
Oct 13 2006

‘A heavy blow to ties’

The Turkish Foreign Ministry yesterday declared that the French
Parliament’s passing a law penalizing denial of an Armenian
"genocide" had dealt a heavy blow to Turkish-French ties.

The Foreign Ministry’s written statement acknowledged that the law
will still have to pass the Senate and then be ratified by the
president, but added, "The first step in this process, the
ratification of the law by the (lower house) National Assembly, has
created deep disappointment in Turkey."

The ministry stressed that Turkish nationals, civil society and
business groups had mobilized along with parliamentary and diplomatic
initiatives to block the bill, which would impose heavy penalties on
those who deny an Armenian "genocide."

"We will continue those efforts," the statement said, pointing to the
fact that there was a great deal of opposition to the law within
France as well.

The statement said that the law also constitutes a serious violation
of both the French constitutional system, which places freedom of
expression above all other rights, and the European Convention. "It
also contradicts the basic values of the French nation, which has
inspired the free world with its concept of liberty, equality and
fraternity," said the statement.

The declaration drew attention to what it called a "French paradox"
of leaving its own history to historians — meaning a controversial
past in colonial Algeria — but choosing to pass a law on the history
of another country. "This damages the credibility of France’s words
and deeds," it said.

The Foreign Ministry declaration carefully refrained from making any
reference to retaliatory measures, such as boycott or sanctions, but
simply referred to the sentiments of the Turkish public, saying,
"With this law, France has lost its privileged, special place in the
eyes of the Turkish people," said the article.

The Foreign Ministry statement was definitely softer in tone than the
declaration of Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, who called the law
"completely shameful."

"This is a very hostile attitude toward Turkey which cannot be
accepted," said Arinc. "It is a shame, totally shameful, that a
country which is seen as the cradle of democracy approves such a
law."

We hope that it will not be passed by the Senate, said Arinc.