Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 27 2012
President Gül blames French politicians for escalating Turkophobia in France
27 April 2012 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, Ä°STANBUL
President Abdullah Gül has blamed French politicians for using the
so-called Armenian genocide as a tool for triggering Turkophobia in
France.
Speaking on the 97th anniversary of the Battle of �anakkale, Gül said
that every year Turkey holds a ceremony for commemorating the French
soldiers who died at Ã?anakkale, but France does not exhibit the same
good intentioned approach towards Turkey. `After the Republic was
established, we avoided reopening old wounds so future generations
would not inherit these pains. Unfortunately, the Armenian Diaspora
has started to use this tragic event as a tool for preserving their
identity and enhancing the feeling of solidarity between themselves
since the 1960s.
Some countries have unfairly ratified laws that criminalize the
so-called Armenian genocide. Politicians who have voted in favor of
these laws don’t have any knowledge of the political conditions of the
time; they are chasing political benefits,’ said Gül.
Reiterating Turkey’s call for the establishment of a non-partisan
commission comprised of respected Turkish and foreign historians for
investigating the 1915 events, Gül noted that neither Armenia nor
France have given a positive response to this call. `We frequently
observe with sorrow today that French politicians are exploiting the
World War I-era deaths of Armenians to gain the support of the
Armenian community living in France and therefore encouraging
Turkophobia in France,’ he added. The Turkish Foreign Ministry
released a written statement on Tuesday night accusing French
presidential rivals Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande of
exploiting the World War I-era deaths of Armenians during the Ottoman
Empire to garner votes from its sizeable Armenian community ahead of
the second presidential run-off.
The statement said declarations by the French presidential rivals
regarding the 1915 events are `another example of the exploitation of
controversial historical issues for political gain.’ The statement
added that it is unfortunate that history is politicized based on
various goals, and that prejudiced behavior won’t help further justice
or create a better understanding of history.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
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