‘FRANCE SHOULD FIRST ADDRESS ALGERIA AND RWANDA’
Zaman, Turkey
May 11 2006
British-Armenian historian Ara Sarafian spoke to Zaman daily about the
controversial bill at the French parliament which would criminalize
denial of the so-called Armenian genocide. Despite his defense of the
genocide thesis, Sarafian criticized France, recalling the massacres
that took place in Algeria and Rwanda, and said “The French attitude
is ironic in light of its past.”
The historian voiced fierce objection to the Armenian bill at the
French parliament, citing France, who appears willing to pass the
bill, should first start with Algeria and Rwanda. Sarafian, whose
“Blue Book” caused a small-scale crisis between Turkey and Britain,
has reservations that the bill in France would stop the discussions
in Turkey. Regarding the declaration by nine Turkish intellectuals
that was published in the French daily Le Liberation, Sarafian said
he would sign the document “in principal.”
Sarafian, who heads the Gomidas Institute in London, told Zaman that
approval of the bill will have a negative impact on Turkish-European
Union relations, and the nationalist tendency would gain momentum in
Turkey, essentially cutting off the democratic process. Sarafian went
on to say that this scenario will work to the advantage of the Armenian
as well as Turkish nationalists, only fostering the problem in the end.
With an emphasis on the need for continuation of discussions, Sarafian
pointed to the opportunity of dealing with the Armenian issue in a
peaceful way.
In this regard, Europe received a warning from Sarafian to evaluate
and judge Turkey and Armenia on the basis of progress they have made.
The bill stands to be a game of “power politics,” said Sarafian when
he challenged the administration in Paris to face its own history.
“It is ironic that France should choose this path as the country
accountable for all that has happened in Algeria and Rwanda.”
In his criticism of the Armenian Diaspora as well as Turkey, Sarafian
said the Armenian issue has become a power politics for which both
Turkish and Armenian nationalists are struggling.
Sarafian, stressing his point that the Turkish government has by
far refused to acknowledge the existence of an Armenian “question,”
went on to say that it has been the Turkish government that wrote “the
rules of the game,” and that helped the radical Armenian nationalist
front to gain additional power.
The Armenian nationalists have found themselves in a powerful position
during the Turkish negotiations with the EU, said Sarafian, and added
that the Armenian question is being addressed in two different ways,
which is contradictory.
On the one hand, there are efforts to measure Turkish respect for
EU standards by way of considering the difference in the Turkish
retrospection of the Armenian question, said Sarafian, adding that
on the other hand, this difference in the Turkish vision of the
Armenian question provides racists, xenophobes and anti-Islamists
the opportunity to block Turkey’s progress towards the ideal of the
European Union.
Previously, while conducting research in the Turkish archives,
Sarafian’s research permit had been cancelled. The British-Armenia
historian took part in the Armenian Symposium held at Istanbul
University, despite the harsh reactions of the Armenian Diaspora. He
was granted an “unconditional” research permit in archives recently for
the second time. Sarafian referred to the present Turkish government’s
serious efforts to resolve the Armenian issue as a real tragedy,
and noted that the Justice and Development Party government at least
did not “censure” debates over the Armenian genocide in Turkey.
Sarafian emphasized the Turkish government opened the thesis of the
Turkish History Council to discussions at the arena where there are
other voices and where discussions are slow to move forward, and some
laws are used to suppress the discussions.
Noting that Turkish people have started to openly talk about the issue
regardless, the Armenian-born historian highlighted some publications
do not welcome an official thesis on the “genocide.” The historian
believes occasions to solve the situation peacefully will be available
the near future.
Algerians maintain that under the French administration, hundreds of
thousands of people were killed, as well as those exposed to “identity
genocide,” and that France should apologize. While France refuses
to heed demands calling for an apology, it is also been accused of
training Hutu militia and encouraging genocide by turning away from
the reality.