EMIN COLASAN: ANKARA TAKES "ACTION" IN ADVANCE OF THE FRENCH VOTE
Hurriyet, Turkey
Oct 10 2006
Dear readers, a country which does not bow before others, which does
not allow its honor to be violated, is also one which takes care of
its own business.
We have been watching the Armenian disgrace in France for the past
days, and by now, we don’t even know what round we are in anymore.
France is doing all this for its own domestic politics. First of
all, there are many, many Armenian voters in that country. Secondly,
France has always been against our membership in the EU-despite all
the pleading our government in Ankara has done-and is trying to put
a note of finality on this business.
Now, let’s ask ourselves this question: What would a country that
protected its own honor and respect do in a situation like the one
Turkey finds itself in? Right off the bat, the government would spring
to action. Diplomatic envoys would be put into service, to use their
skills in putting pressure on France.
But what do we do? The Prime Minister met on Saturday with
representatives from French companies doing business in Turkey and
shook a big stick at them.
He said: "If your government does not pull back on this Armenian
bill, our trade relations with you will go bad. There are 450 French
businesses in Turkey. Rather than writing letters to your government,
why don’t you go altogether to France, and do some lobbying. Put
pressure on the Paris administration."
And so you see what Ankara has done: they have exported this issue,
one which they could not take care of themselves, to French companies!
* * *
But who are these companies? Let me give you a few examples: Renault,
Alcatel, Carrefour, Danone, Peugeot, Citroen, Total, Elf, Nestle,
Lafarge, Sodexho……these are all world giants.
A full 24% of Turkey’s automotive sector alone lies in the hands
of French companies. France is Turkey’s fifth largest partner in
foreign trade. The French companies active in Turkey provide work
opportunities for 70 thousand people. So, let’s say that the French
Parliament goes ahead and votes to pass the Armenian bill; what will
Prime Minister Erdogan do? Kick these companies out of Turkey?
Of course not, this would not be possible. He can neither kick them
out nor bring any limitations on their business about. Because the
ultimate damage from such actions would be felt not by the companies
themselves, but by the Turks working for them.
Interestingly, we experienced this same event during the collapse of
the Ottoman Empire. When Austria decided to include Bosnia Herzegovina
in its own land, there were giant protest meetings in Istanbul and
throughout Anatolia. It was declared that there would be a boycott
(!) of Austrian goods. At that time, the famous "fez" worn by
males was produced in Austria. But in the end, nothing changed,
and Bosnia-Herzegovina slipped from our hands!
So, knowing that we cannot kick out the French companies, what else
can be done? Ah yes, Ankara is intoning that there will be contract
bidding for a helicopter order Turkey is going to make…..and there
is also the bidding for the nuclear reactor to be built! And so,
warns Ankara, we will not allow French companies to bid in the high
stakes for those contracts!
But please friends, let’s not joke around.
Boycotts and such are not going to solve this business. It is when you
gain respect for your country outside in the world that things like
"Armenian genocide bills" cease to keep you from proceeding. Our
current leaders have forgotten this. While there is no gravity or
respect accorded to Turkey outside our borders, the leaders in Ankara
are looking for savior in a few French companies doing business here.
It’s like this: A man commits a crime, he’s surrounded by police, and
in desperate hopes of saving himself, he takes a small child hostage,
and presses a knife threateningly against the child’s throat. This is
what Prime Minister Erdogan is doing. He says "My word is no longer
effective, I have no gravity left outside Turkey. Hey, French firms,
rescue me." What he forgets is that these same firms do business in
both France and Armenia.
****
Let’s imagine for a moment that France does not pass the bill. What
would this mean? Would it mean that their stance on our membership in
the EU, or on the whole Armenian genocide issue, had changed? No. And
if they do pass the bill? Will French companies be scapegoated
and kicked out of Turkey? Please don’t make me laugh. As Turks, we
watch the situation that the Turkish Republic has fallen into with
amazement, horror, and embarassment. This is some sort of enormous
spiritual torture that we are being exposed to. We have auctioned off
everything we have to foreign firms. The US is now in charge of dealing
with PKK terror, while Northern Iraq has been handed over to Barzani
and Talabani. Meanwhile, our laws governing the insulting of Turks,
Turkish Parliament and our republic are being guided by EU laws. And
the economy is in the hands of the IMF and foreign capital.
The latest in this auctioning off is to hand over the business of
the Armenian genocide bill to be taken care of by French companies
and their representatives!
And so we witness the painful ending to endless pleading, begging,
and the destruction of our country’s own respect: the passing off of
national problems to foreign concerns in the hopes that they can act
for us! I don’t know whether we should laugh or cry.