Turkish Parliament Condemns France

Paris Link, France
Oct 20 2006

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 11:13:00
Gareth Cartman

The attempted passing of a law penalising the negation of the Armenian
genocide between 1915 and 1917 has resulted in a furious reaction
from the Turkish parliament. They backed a declaration condemning
the Assemblee Nationale and a media boycott will ensue.

A furious Turkish parliament has issued a declaration condemning the
Assemblee Nationale for having attempted to pass the law that would
criminalise anyone who denied the Armenian genocide took place. The
law, which was voted through parliament by a handful of Socialists –
most MPs abstained – has caused a rift in French-Turkish relations
that could result in the loss of potential money-spinning contracts.

Jacques Chirac attempted to heal the divide earlier in the week by
apologising to Prime Minister Erdogan, but the parliament has insisted
that some form of sanction should be applied to France until the law
is taken fully off the agenda.

Mystifyingly, Yashar Yakish, Turkey’s former foreign minister suggested
that Turkey deport 70,000 Armenians from Turkey as punishment for
France’s attempted passing of the negation law. He claimed that
Armenia should pay the price for France’s behaviour.

Approximately 500,000 Armenians live in France.

However, more immediate measure are being suggested in the media. The
Turkish television watchdog this week recommended that French
television programs and films should not be broadcast in Turkey.

French broadcasting accounts for about ten percent of television
output, while French films are relatively popular.

One of Turkey’s leading consumer groups urged customers to boycott
one French product per week, stating that it would publicise which
product is being boycotted each week.

Turkey denies that it committed genocide against the Armenians
between 1915 and 1917. According to Turkey, there were deaths, but
nowhere near the figure stated by historians – and the use of the word
genocide is exaggerated. They claim that as Armenians were evacuated,
then continued to fight – and that losses were equal on both sides.

France has claimed that acknowledgement of genocide is a pre-requisite
for Turkey’s entry into the EU, which is looking less likely by the
day after the Parliament’s attempt to force through this law coupled
with Turkey’s riposte.

The law, however, will not see the light of day. The Senate is
expected to defeat it, and if the law does make it through the Senate,
President Jacques Chirac is already known not to be favourable,
and will immediately annul it.