FM TO TURKISH ENVOYS: SPEAK OUT TO ARMENIANS AGAINST GENOCIDE CLAIMS

Today’s Zaman
Dec 23 2011
Turkey

In the face of approval of a bill by the French parliament that
penalizes denial of Armenian “genocide” in France, Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has urged Turkish ambassadors to speak out to
every single Armenian around the world against the “bigotry of France.”

Addressing Turkish ambassadors serving overseas on the first day
of a week long Foreign Ministry conference organized to conduct a
comprehensive review of Turkish foreign policy and recent developments
in international politics, Davutoglu slammed France over the approval
of the bill that makes denial of the alleged Armenian genocide a crime
punishable by a one-year prison sentence and a fine of 45,000 euros.

“We will go and talk to every single Armenian against the bigotry
stance France has taken. We will tell them how France and other
countries create trouble among us,” Davutoglu said.

Noting that the French Assembly had dictated how Europeans should
think about the alleged Armenian genocide, Davutoglu added, “This is
no different than dictatorships in the Middle East.”

“I am appealing to European intellectuals. Protect your values. We
will already raise our voice. We will go and say we do not recognize
[the alleged genocide] wherever this is legally forbidden. We will
raise our voice at the European Parliament. If Europeans do not
protect these values, we will,” the Turkish minister said.

“It is France that is now being tested, not Turkey. The French Senate
is being tested,” he added.

The highly controversial bill was approved by the French National
Assembly on Thursday despite strong protests from Turkey. The bill
still needs Senate approval, but once it passed the lower house, the
Turkish government ended bilateral political and economic contact,
suspended military cooperation and ordered his country’s ambassador
home for consultation. Turkey argues that France is trampling freedom
of expression and that French President Nicolas Sarkozy is on a
vote-getting mission before the April presidential elections.

Davutoglu said the measures against France announced by Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan are only initial measures, signaling
that Ankara will introduce additional sanctions. “We have nothing in
our history to shy away from. We draw our strength from our history,”
he declared.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress