Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Dec 14 2004
`One More Condition’ (!) from the French Turkish-Skeptics: “Accept
Armenian Kill
“If Turkey can enter the EU, Turkish economy and democracy will be
stabilized, and Armenia will also benefit from a EU member Turkey.’
Jan Soykok, Journal of Turkish Weekly (JTW)
14 December 2004
France has said it will ask Turkey to acknowledge the so-called `mass
killing of Armenians’ which claimed happened during the Ottoman years
(almost a century ago) as a `tragedy’ when it begins EU accession
talks. Turkish politicians and academics cannot understand the
connection between the EU.
Armenians say 1.5 million of their people died or were deported from
their homelands under the Ottoman rule, while the Turkish side argues
the whole Armenian population at that time was less than 1.5 million.
According to Turkish historians it was the war years and the
Armenians rioted in the Empire’s Eastern territories. Turkish
political scientist Dr. Nilgun Gulcan says `Most of the killings were
result of the tribal conflicts between Armenians and Kurdish groups.
Many Armenians died due to the bad weather and war circumstances.
Many died for instance as a result of epidemic diseases and starving.
Not only Armenians died. Many Muslims were also killed or died. More
than 500.000 Muslims were killed by the armed Armenian gangs. Now the
radical Armenians just accuse Turks for the tribal conflicts and
riots. They must question their past, apart from the Ottoman
history.’
Mr. Barnier said France did not consider Turkish acknowledgement a
condition of EU entry, but insisted his country would raise the issue
once talks opened. Speaking to reporters after a meeting of EU
foreign ministers to discuss plans to invite Turkey for accession
talks, French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said Turkey had `a duty
to remember’.
Dr. Gulcan said `there was no link between Turkey’s EU negotiations
and the Armenian issue’:
`France believes that accession talks should not begin before the
second half of 2005. French public is under manipulation. The
Armenian lobbying groups and the anti-Turkish groups abuse Turkey’s
EU bid. Turkey’s accession is a dramatic domestic politics issue and
many French politicians make plans for the coming elections. They
`sacrifice’ Turkey’s entry for their personal election interests
added Dr. Nilgun Gulcan.
About 300,000 Armenians live in France, more than in any other
European country, and community leaders have pledged to pressure
French President Jacques Chirac on the `genocide’ issue during
Turkish accession negotiations.
Dr. Sedat Laciner, form ISRO, however, argues Turkey’s entry to the
EU will be useful in solving problems between Turkish and Armenian
peoples:
`The Armenian Diaspora thinks that Turkey’s accession to the EU is
against Armenian interest. This is a false estimation. If Turkey can
enter the EU, Turkish economy and democracy will be stabilized, and
Armenia will also benefit from a EU member Turkey.’