Ankara is very sensitive about everything directly or indirectly
related to Armenian Genocide
But the most interesting thing is what almost nobody paid any
attention to: the bill was simply rejected. It was not even put to the
vote, which means that after presidential elections in France the
Senate may once again take the bill from the table.
The decision of the French Senate to reject the bill criminalizing
denial of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Turkey was expected.
Firstly, it is somewhat risky to pass such a bill before presidential
elections. Secondly, without Turkey’s support, France and her allies
would not be able to manage the war in Libya.
May 6, 2011
PanARMENIAN.Net –
It is not only strategic, but also material support – supply of
weapons, military bases, refugees, whom Turkey can shelter. Let us
recall what a hard time Americans had in Iraq, when Turkey in 2003
gave no permission to transport weapons and ammunition for the U.S.
Army.
The latter is very important for Europe, as otherwise the south of
France and Italy would be flooded with Libyans, although there are
already too many of them in this area. There is one more circumstance
to be taken into account: the pre-election campaign in Turkey. Europe
favours the Justice and Development Party (AKP) rather than the
nationalists. For all his impulsiveness, Erdogan is a fairly
predictable politician, when it comes to the European Union and to
secular power. And given the fact that relations between Paris and
Ankara are too far from being good, it becomes clear that the bill had
no chances at all. France does not see Turkey in the EU and,
definitely, will not change her attitude in the near future. The
French Armenian community is unlikely not to have understood this, but
it wouldn’t be superfluous to once again draw the public attention to
the Armenian Genocide committed in the Ottoman Empire. But the most
interesting thing is what almost nobody paid any attention to: the
bill was simply rejected. It was not even put to the vote, which means
that after presidential elections in France the Senate may once again
take the bill from the table. If the Socialists should win the
elections, the bill on criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide
may be adopted. In any case, it will be the clincher in the efforts to
attract Armenian vote, like in the U.S.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister of France Michel Mercier declared after
the Senate session that at the end of the week a directive envisaging
punishment for insulting the Armenian community members would be sent
to all the General Prosecutors of the country. Mercier also noted that
a law penalizing racist statements has been enacted in France since
2008. `Provisions of this law were discussed at a meeting between the
Armenian community representatives and President Sarkozy. The
government will not stay aside – the Armenian Genocide is a recognized
fact for us,’ Mercier said.
Let us recall that a law on banning the burqa and niqab has recently
been enacted in France. And if we add to it also the bill on the
Armenian Genocide, this could be a strong irritant for the Muslim
community in this country. But the most interesting thing is that the
bill rejected by the Senate, most likely aims at publishing the papers
and speeches,questioning the Armenian Genocide. A similar law on
Holocaust denial exists in many countries. But one also has to prove
that it is directed against Turkey. Unfortunately, Turkey is too
sensitive about everything directly or indirectly related to the
Armenian Genocide. But no one, including Ankara, knows how long the
denial policy can linger…
Karine Ter-Sahakyan / PanARMENIAN News
From: A. Papazian