LIES, DAMN LIES, AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH
by Al Pope, Yukon News
Yukon News (Yukon)
October 16, 2006 Monday
Final Edition
Last week, the French National Assembly voted 106-19 in favour of a
bill to recognize the Turkish slaughter of Armenians during and after
the First World War as genocide, and to make denial of that genocide
punishable by a fine of up to 45,000 Euros.
The bill doesn’t become law unless passed by the senate, but it’s
already got Turkey very nervous about its ongoing bid to enter the
European Community.
During the First World War, the Ottoman Empire embarked on a program
of what we have since come to know as “ethnic cleansing” against its
Armenian subjects.
Turkish soldiers burned entire towns and villages, slaughtering at
least 300,000 people.
Then they began a “resettlement program,” in which Armenians were
forced to march in their tens of thousands to starvation camps in
the Syrian desert.
The Turkish government doesn’t entirely deny that these events
took place.
The Ottomans even went so far as to indict three of their own
commanders for crimes against the Armenians — though the indictment
is a blatant whitewash for the Young Turks, who largely perpetrated
the atrocities.
What they do say is, and what is almost always said in these cases,
is that the slaughter was mutual, that the Armenians were allied
with Russia against the Ottomans, and that war crimes were committed
against Turks in about equal proportion to those committed by Turks.
No one but the Turkish government seems inclined to endorse this view
of events.
On the surface of it, it would appear that there’s ample precedent
for a law banning denial of a genocide.
France, Canada, and dozens of other countries have laws against denial
of the Nazi Holocaust, even though Holocaust deniers cast themselves
simply as historians whose view of the events of the Second World
War differ from historical orthodoxy.
Paradoxically, laws against holocaust denial exist almost exclusively
in countries that also enjoy the constitutional guarantee of freedom
of speech.
What makes this one particular slaughter, the Nazi Holocaust, so
sacrosanct that democracies are willing to abandon one of their first
principals to protect the official history?
It’s perfectly legal to dispute the number of witches burned alive by
the Christians, the number of aboriginal victims of the Indian Wars,
the number of Ukrainians starved to death by Stalin.
In France you may legally make the claim that French troops never
murdered Algerian civilians, that Joan of Arc never died at the stake,
that there was no Reign of Terror, no Robespierre, no Guillotine,
no Napoleon.
It would be ridiculous, but it would not be against the law.
It’s perfectly legal for the United States to reject sound studies
showing that their war in Iraq is responsible for 600,000 deaths,
and here in Canada even the prime minister may claim that it is no
crime for warplanes to target apartment buildings and ambulances.
But there is a difference, and the Holocaust is a special case.
There is a good reason why almost every country that was involved in
the Second World War has banned Holocaust denial.
It’s not to spare the feelings of the survivors, or to maintain the
former Axis powers in a permanent state of guilt.
Holocaust denial is banned because of the motives of the deniers,
which are without exception purely vicious and have nothing to do
with history.
There is no reasonable historical dispute about the existence of the
Nazi death camps, about their utter barbarity, or about the fact that
millions died there.
Holocaust denial is not history, it’s hate.
Its perpetrators aren’t historians, they’re neo-Nazis and anti-Semites
with an axe to grind.
They deliberately twist history in order to enlist new recruits into
violent ultra-right-wing groups.
To stop them, legislators around the world have taken the extraordinary
step of banning the publication of Nazi lies.
Does France have a strong anti-Armenian movement that uses genocide
denial to advance its cause?
Do right-wing extremists congregate around the belief that an
international Armenian conspiracy suppresses historical truth in
order to advance its program of world domination?
Is Europe plagued by outbreaks of neo-Young-Turk Skinhead violence?
No. What France has is half a million Armenian voters, and an election
year coming up.
Afraid of the voting power of that block, the deputies of the National
Assembly are willing to criminalize dissent.
Nazism is a tenacious and dangerous political movement, which has
never gone away, and Holocaust denial is one of its tools.
We place this limit on the right of freedom of speech to protect our
society against the persistent menace of Nazism.
It’s a questionable tactic, and may simply play into the Nazis’ hand,
permitting them to masquerade as free-speech advocates.
At any rate, it’s a law to be watched constantly for signs of abuse,
and not a policy to be expanded to fit every case, however horrific
the context.
It’s not to correct history that we round up the Holocaust deniers;
it’s to protect ourselves today.
In the absence of a comparable threat, there’s no excuse for
governments interfering in the business of historians.
The world is full of liars.
War criminals, in particular, are always liars, because they have
to be.
What the French deputies have failed to recognize is that in a free
society you can’t ban lies.
All you can do is tell the truth and try to make it stick.
Al Pope won the 2002 Ma Murray Award for Best Columnist in BC/Yukon.
His novel, Bad Latitudes, is available in bookstores.

TROIKA AND ANKARA POUR OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS
European Report
October 18, 2006
Marking a pause in the escalation of tension over recent weeks, the
EU and Turkey sought to calm tempers at their ministerial meeting
on 16 October in Luxembourg, though they remain unable to settle
their fundamental differences. The EU troika, led by Finland’s
Foreign Minister and acting Council President Erkki Tuomioja, and
the Turkish delegation, headed by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul,
avoided any direct attacks while sticking to their positions.
Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn welcomed Ankara’s open attitude at
the meeting, at which the future of accession negotiations was not on
the agenda but in everybody’s mind. A respite that contrasts with the
invective that has been plying between Europeans and Turks recently
over the slow pace of reforms in Turkey and the French initiative on
the recognition of the Armenian genocide. On the eve of the meeting,
one European source suggested that “the Turks are at present highly
irritated and very irritable”.
No progress was made on sensitive dossiers poisoning Ankara’s accession
process, notably the issue of Cyprus and domestic reforms, which
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso had again described
on the eve of the meeting as too slow. The Ankara Protocol, which
Turkey has still failed to apply, in spite of demands from member
states, remains a key bone of contention. Gul reaffirmed his line
that the Cypriot issue should first be resolved by the island’s two
communities, emphasising the responsibility of Greek Cypriots for the
current deadlock. In this context, Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank
Walter Steinmeier refused to pledge to opening further chapters in
negotiations when Berlin takes up the EU Presidency for the first
half of 2007.
THE ARMENIAN QUESTION
Abdullah Gul again denounced the vote by France’s Assemblee Nationale
last week approving a law condemning denial of the Armenian genocide.
The minister insisted this dossier is not included among the Copenhagen
criteria, regretting that one of the EU’s founder members should be
undermining freedom of speech at the time when the member states are
applying pressure on his country to speed up reforms in this area. This
vote “has a negative impact on France’s image as a country where
it is possible to exchange different opinions,” said the minister,
while emphasising that many European and indeed French personalities
have denounced the initiative. He urged France’s leaders to prevent
the bill, which has still to be approved by the Senate and endorsed
by the president of the Republic, from entering into force.
Minister Gul nevertheless declined on his part to commit to reforming
the controversial Article 301 of Turkey’s new penal code, which
permits the imprisonment of individuals for denigrating the state,
merely insisting that his country will not “repeat France’s errors”
regarding freedom of speech. “In Turkey today one is free to say
anything,” said Gul. Though less restrictive than that contained in
the previous penal code,this article, nevertheless, remains a target
for the EU and human rights organisations like Amnesty International,
which fear it might be used by the authorities to stifle criticism of
the regime. Gul acknowledged that the new legislation has encountered
some implementation problems, but declined to commit to a modification
of the text. An inadequate approach, which is taking too long,
commented Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, again calling for the
amendment of the article.
This warning points to a possible further escalation of tensions with
Ankara, with the Commission’s eagerly-awaited report evaluating
Turkey’s progress towards EU accession due to be published on
8 November.

NEXT YEAR AZERI ECONOMY WILL BE TEN TIMES BIGGER THAN ARMENIAN ONE: AZERI PRESIDENT
ARMINFO News Agency
October 17, 2006 Tuesday
“We are making active efforts to resolve the Karabakh conflict by peace
but, at the same time, we are getting increasingly convinced that,
without serious military, political, diplomatic an economic levers,
it will be hard to put an end to the occupation of our lands,” Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev says in an Oct 15 interview to Al Jazeera
TV channel.
“By involving the UN General Assembly, the CE, the Organization of
the Islamic Conference and other international organizations in the
Karabakh peace process, we are trying to use all chances for peaceful
resolution. At the same time, we are stregthening our country,
economy and defense. Today, our economy is 6 times bigger than that
of Armenia, next year, it will be 10 times bigger. Naturally this will
give us increasingly favorable conditions for resolving the problem,”
says Aliyev. “In economy Armenia is not rival to us. In military
Azerbaijan has the strongest army in the Caucasus and continues to
strengthen it due to yearly growing military allocations,” says Aliev.
“When all our energy and economic projects are launched, we will
become a strong state, and Armenia will not be able to rival with us.
So, they must understand that their policy may have fatal consequences
for them and that the population of Karabakh and Armenia may face a
serious danger unless the Karabakh conflict is resolved by peace,”
says Aliev.
He blames Armenia for regularly wrecking the peace talks. He says
that the present format of the talks is the Prague Process – stage
by stage scenario: “withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied
territories, discussion of the status of Karabakh and enhancement of
security.” “In fact, this is the final stage and if it is wrecked,
there will be no more chance for further talks. But if the talks
are stopped, we will not just sit by and wait for something. We
are either in the negotiating process our outside it. And if we are
outside, we will give up all our obligations, change our strategy
and consider other solutions,” says Aliyev. He notes that Azerbaijan
will not obligatorily start military operation at once, it will be
the last step, but before it the country will use its huge economic,
financial and human potential for achieving its goal.
“Simply, they in Armenia must understand that the process is developing
to our advantage, and they cannot rival with us. So, for the sake of
the safety of the Armenian population of Karabakh and for the sake
of the safety of the population of Armenia, they must voluntarily
withdraw their troops from our occupied territories,” says Aliyev.

PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION OF CHINA TO VISIT ARMENIA
Public Radio, Armenia
Oct 18 2006
October 20 the delegation headed by Deputy Chairman of the All-China
Assembly of People Representatives of the People’s Republic of China
Syu Stzialu will arrive in Armenia on an official visit.
In the Parliament the delegation will meet with NA Chairman Tigran
Torosyan and members of Armenia-China Deputy Friendship Group.
The same day meetings with RA President and Prime Minister are
expected.
October 21 the Chinese delegation will visit Tsitsernakaberd and
will lay a wreath of flowers at the memorial to the 1915 Armenian
Genocide victims.
The same day the Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II will receive
the delegation in the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin.
October 22 the delegation will depart from Yerevan.

THE CLUB OF YOUNG DIPLOMATS WILL HOST HIS EXCELLENCY AMBASSADOR HENRY CUNY OF FRANCE
Public Radio, Armenia
Oct 18 2006
On Thursday October 19, 3pm the Club of Young Diplomats at Yerevan
State University will host outgoing Ambassador of France to Armenia
H.E. Henry Cuny at the Balian Hall in YSU. The Club of Young Diplomats
has always enjoyed the friendly relationships with the French Embassy
and Ambassador H. Cuny. His Excellency has visited the University on a
number of occasions. One of the occasions was the presentation of His
Excellency’s “Le Bonheur Sur Tous Les Tons” (Happiness of Any Kind)
published in Armenia, a unique publication that alters Ambassador
Cuny’s original thoughts on HAPPYNESS. Copies of the book will be
distributed to interested students with author’s signature at the
end of the event. Yet this meeting will be special since it is a
kind of a farewell to students, a segment of the Armenian society
His Excellency favored the most.
An analogous event was organized to farewell H.E. Ambassador Paolo
Andrea Trabalza of Italy in 2004. Thus the Club develops a tradition
of holding special farewell events for outgoing Ambassador’s who have
significantly contributed to strengthening of the relations of their
respective states with Armenia and have integrated into the cultural
life of Yerevan.
Ambassador Cuny completes his mission in Armenia in 10 days and the
Club of Young Diplomats wanted to invite his Excellency over for an
informal interactive meeting with the student body of our Alma Mater,
a kind of a farewell to a special friend and a skilled diplomat. “His
Excellency expressed willingness to meet up with the student body long
before, yet we wanted to host the Ambassador later this month to ask
him sum up on his mission, his President’s visit to Armenia and the
“ARMENIE MONAMIE” the year of Armenia in France program to share his
views and valuable thoughts, feelings about Armenia, Armenian people
and culture as well as on his unique perception of life and happiness”,
says Erik Grigoryan, the head of the student club.
“To be hold on the aftermath of President Chirac’s trip to Armenia
and on the eve of the official start of the Armenian Year In France
Program, the meeting will bear the flavor of the traditional friendship
of Armenian and French people and the partnership of the two states”,
Mr. Grigoryan added.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : LE MEDEF SE MOBILISE
Auteur: Beatrice Taupin
Le Figaro, France
18 octobre 2006
JACQUES CHIRAC avait appele samedi le premier ministre turc. Laurence
Parisot s’est rendue hier après-midi a Bruxelles pour rencontrer
son homologue turc, Omer Sabanci, le president de la Tusiad qu’elle
connaissait deja pour l’avoir recu a Paris au printemps. À l’Elysee
comme au Medef, on s’active pour sortir de la crise ouverte par le
vote des deputes punissant la negation du genocide armenien.
Laurence Parisot est d’ailleurs prete a intensifier son lobbying
pour que la loi ne soit pas inscrite a l’ordre du jour du Senat. Y
compris en sollicitant le chef de l’Etat. ” Nous considerons que
le vote de l’Assemblee depasse ce qu’il est normal de faire sur un
sujet aussi grave “, avait-elle explique le matin en rendant compte
du conseil executif. ” Il n’appartient pas aux entreprises d’ecrire
l’histoire, mais il n’appartient pas non plus au legislateur d’ecrire
l’histoire ” avait-elle poursuivi en soulignant qu'” on ne peut
pas prendre des mesures de ce type sans se poser la question des
consequences. ” La France est en effet le cinquième fournisseur de
la Turquie, avec des echanges qui ont depasse 8 milliards d’euros
l’an dernier. Si le boycott des marques et des produits francais
envisage par Ankara inquiète beaucoup les entreprises francaises –
on a deja fait comprendre a certaines qu’il etait inutile de concourir
a des appels d’offres -, le monde economique et les pouvoirs publics
sont aussi extremement attentifs a l’avenir des gros contrats en
cours de negociation. Premier sur la liste, Eurocopter, en lice
pour la vente de 52 helicoptères militaires (2 milliards d’euros),
dont le sort devrait etre scelle prochainement. Airbus est aussi en
pourparlers avec Turkish Airlines pour la vente de trente avions,
Areva pour la construction de trois centrales nucleaires a l’horizon
2011 (4 milliards), Bouygues et Vinci pour le pont sur le Bosphore,
Alstom pour un tunnel… Des relations suivies depuis vingt ans
L’organisation patronale est d’autant plus mobilisee qu’elle entretient
des relations suivies avec son homologue turque depuis vingt ans. À
l’epoque, seules six entreprises francaises etaient implantees en
Turquie. On en compte desormais 300 dont la moitie a des actifs sur
place. Le president de Medef International, Jean Burelle, etait a
Ankara en juin avec 40 entreprises francaises, et il y a quinze jours,
ce sont cette fois 120 entreprises d’Ille-et-Vilaine qui faisaient
le voyage. Des echanges dont les chefs d’entreprise admettent mal
qu’ils soient remis en cause d’un trait de plume.
–Boundary_(ID_LzLo+ZrwqBPjKMsFK6NKTg)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ET SI CHRISTOPH BLOCHER AVAIT RAISON?
Le Temps, Suisse
18 octobre 2006
La polemique declenchee par la gauche et une partie des medias
suite aux propos de M. Blocher en Turquie concernant le genocide des
Armeniens s’est averee inutile et deplacee. […]
La recente proposition francaise de sanctionner toute negation du
genocide des Armeniens a provoque une grave crise avec la Turquie
avec pour resultat le boycott des produits francais. La Suisse n’a
aucune raison de suivre une telle voie, surtout au moment où l’Union
europeenne et meme M. Chirac viennent de declarer qu’il s’agissait
d’un camouflet inutile a l’egard de la Turquie. C’etait exactement
la position pragmatique prise par notre conseiller federal Christoph
Blocher qui jugeait, comme une majorite de Suisses, que nous n’avions
pas a condamner la Turquie. Laissons plutôt les historiens et les
politiciens en mal de publicite et d’electeurs s’entre-dechirer sur
des evenements datant de plus d’un siècle. Ne facilitons surtout pas la
tâche des vrais racistes qui cherchent a empecher la Turquie, l’un des
rares pays musulmans democratiques, a se joindre a l’Union europeenne.
Par contre, le silence de beaucoup de medias et de politiciens sur
les massacres recents des populations du Darfour et du Rwanda ainsi
que sur la famine en Coree du Nord due a son gouvernement stalinien
est intolerable. Aucun reproche ni sanctions non plus sur les propos
negationnistes et les caricatures antisemites du president iranien
relatifs a l’extermination des juifs par les nazis.
M. Blocher a simplement le courage d’exprimer des opinions partagees
par une majorite silencieuse de citoyens qui ne sont ni racistes ni
negationnistes. […]
–Boundary_(ID_jFdl2CMExdPpeGiD/wm+cg)–

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : LA TURQUIE BOYCOTTE AVEC MODERATION
Auteur: Semo Marc
Liberation , France
18 octobre 2006
Ankara condamne le projet de loi francais mais ne peut se permettre
d’ecarter les entreprises francaises.
Au-dela des effets de manche, les reactions turques restent très
contenues après le vote, jeudi en première lecture, par 106 deputes
francais, d’un projet de loi sanctionnant la negation du genocide
armenien de 1915-1917. “L’adoption de cette proposition de loi a porte
un coup sevère aux relations turco-francaises”, a de nouveau mis en
garde, hier, le ministre des Affaires etrangères, Abdullah Gul, dans
un discours devant le Parlement, affirmant que si cette loi prenait
effet les liens bilateraux seraient “irreparablement endommages dans
les domaines economique, politique et de la securite”.
La France est le cinquième fournisseur de la Turquie derrière
l’Allemagne, la Russie, l’Italie et la Chine, avec des echanges
s’elevant a 8,5 milliards d’euros. Les autorites turques se gardent
bien, neanmoins, d’appeler a un boycott des entreprises ou des
produits francais. Une telle initiative indisposerait Bruxelles qui,
dans cette crise, soutient Ankara, critiquant ouvertement le projet
de loi francais, juge “dangereux et contre-productif”. C’est une
aubaine pour le gouvernement de Recep Tayyip Erdogan, issu du mouvement
islamiste epingle depuis des mois par les Vingt-Cinq pour sa mauvaise
volonte a continuer les reformes depuis l’ouverture des negociations
d’adhesion, en octobre 2005. Mais l’opposition sociale-democrate,
traditionnellement souverainiste, attaque le gouvernement sur la
“mollesse” de sa reaction. “Le gouvernement reste timide sur les
represailles”, a ainsi estime Onur ÷ymen, vice-president du Parti
republicain du peuple.
Si les autorites gardent profil bas, des associations de consommateurs
ont neanmoins appele a boycotter les produits tricolores. Sans grand
effet. Il y a eu ainsi, pendant deux jours, un leger flechissement
de la frequentation de Carrefour, mais cela n’a pas dure. Un boycott
est d’autant plus difficile que nombre d’entreprises francaises ont
des partenaires turcs de premier plan, comme Renault associe avec
Oyak, le tout-puissant holding des fonds de pension… des forces
armees. Mais les entreprises craignent de subir des represailles
avec des difficultes dans toutes leurs demarches douanières et
administratives, sans parler de l’exclusion des appels d’offres
publics. Le francais Eurocopter est en lice avec trois autres firmes
etrangères pour la vente de 52 helicoptères militaires et civils. Un
autre gros contrat – celui de la construction de trois centrales
nucleaires pour un montant estime a 4 milliards d’euros – serait
aussi sur la sellette.
“La France a perdu sa position privilegiee en Turquie […] a cause
de simples visees electoralistes”, a martele hier Abdullah Gul,
estimant que le texte controverse etait incompatible avec les normes
de democratie de l’Union europeenne : “On nous demande, d’un côte,
d’elargir la liberte d’expression chez nous, mais, de l’autre côte, la
France adopte une proposition qui bafoue cette liberte.” Les Europeens
exigent notamment l’abrogation de l’article 301 du nouveau code penal,
qui sanctionne les “insultes a la nation turque”. C’est en reference
a ce texte que les associations nationalistes ont multiplie les
plaintes contre des intellectuels, dont l’ecrivain Orhan Pamuk, prix
Nobel de litterature, qui avait evoque dans une interview le genocide
armenien. Plusieurs editorialistes ont rappele que le gouvernement,
en supprimant maintenant cet article “liberticide”, mettrait encore
un peu plus Paris en difficulte.
–Boundary_(ID_DUEbsXLlij6h72XMsSSFyw )–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DESTRUCTION DU PATRIMOINE ARMENIEN EN AZERBAïDJAN: L’UNESCO CRITIQUEE
Agence France Presse
17 octobre 2006 mardi
Une delegation internationale de parlementaires a critique mardi a
Paris l’Unesco pour son inaction face a la destruction du patrimoine
culturel armenien en Azerbaïdjan, et remis a son directeur general,
Koïchiro Matsuura, un memorandum appelant a sa protection.
Les parlementaires, quatre Francais de gauche comme de droite, deux
Suisses, deux Britanniques, un Grec et un Canadien, ont notamment
denonce la destruction du site archeologique de Djougha, situe dans
la region azerie du Nakhitchevan près de la frontière avec l’Iran.
Ce site, construit du 5e au 17e siècle, “contenait plus de 10.000
stèles et constituait la plus vaste collection de pierres tombales
armeniennes et de croix en pierre sculptees (khatchkars)”, selon
le memorandum.
“Debut mars 2006, le cimetière fut complètement rase; sur son site,
les autorites azerbaïdjanaises ont etabli un stand de tir militaire”,
selon le texte remis a l’Unesco, qui precise que “des pierres tombales
de petite taille furent enlevees, brisees et transportees ailleurs
ou jetees dans le fleuve Araxe”, ce que documente un film amateur
tourne depuis le côte iranien de la frontière.
“Nous ne comprenons pas que l’Unesco soit restee inactive face a ces
destructions”, a declare le chef de la delegation, le conseiller
national (depute) suisse Ueli Leuenberger (Verts), lors d’une
conference de presse.
Il a ajoute que les parlementaires avaient demande que l’Organisation
des Nations unies pour l’education, la science et la culture (Unesco)
“denonce la nature ethnocidaire de la destruction du site”.
“Nous avons demande que l’Unesco suspende l’Azerbaïdjan tant qu’il ne
collabore pas dans le sens que nous avons demande”, a encore declare
M. Leuenberger.
L’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan s’opposent sur l’enclave du Nagorny
Karabakh, separee de l’Azerbaïdjan a l’issue d’un conflit arme qui a
dure de 1988 a 1994, a fait près de 25.000 morts et entraîne l’exil
de quelque 20.000 Azeris.
–Boundary_(ID_256N8Hii4oEVG+3NzPlPHw)–

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN: LE PARLEMENT TURC DENONCE LE VOTE DES DEPUTES FRANCAIS
Agence France Presse
17 octobre 2006 mardi
Le Parlement turc a denonce mardi lors d’une seance speciale le vote
par les deputes francais d’un texte sur le “genocide armenien de 1915”,
qui a suscite la colère d’Ankara.
“L’adoption de cette proposition de loi a porte un coup sevère aux
relations turco-francaises”, a reaffirme le ministre des Affaires
etrangères Abdullah Gul dans son discours.
Le chef de la diplomatie a averti que si elle prenait effet de loi,
les liens bilateraux seraient “irreparablement endommages dans les
domaines economiques, politiques et de la securite”.
La Turquie s’est indignee du vote jeudi dernier par les deputes
francais d’une proposition de loi sanctionnant la negation du “genocide
armenien” de peines allant jusqu’a un an de prison et 45.000 euros
d’amende.
Le gouvernement d’Ankara a promis de mettre en oeuvre une serie
de represailles sur le detail desquelles il est jusqu’a present
reste muet.
En France, le texte doit etre soumis aux senateurs puis aux deputes
en seconde lecture avant d’etre definitivement adopte. Le gouvernement
francais et le president Jacques Chirac s’en sont demarques.
“La France perdu sa position privilegiee en Turquie (…) a cause de
simples visees electoralistes” a quelques mois de la presidentielle
de 2007 en France, a affirme M. Gul, estimant que le texte controverse
etait incompatible avec les normes democratiques de l’Union europeenne.
“On nous demande d’un côte d’elargir la liberte d’expression chez
nous mais de l’autre côte la France adopte une proposition qui bafoue
cette liberte”, a dit M. Gul.
Le ministre a profite de l’occasion pour reaffirmer la position turque
sur les evenements survenus dans les dernières annees de l’Empire
ottoman, auquel a succede en 1923 la Republique de Turquie.
Les massacres et deportations d’Armeniens entre 1915 et 1917 dans
l’Empire ottoman ont fait plus de 1,5 million de morts selon les
Armeniens, 250.000 a 500.000 selon la Turquie qui reconnaît des tueries
de part et d’autre mais recuse categoriquement la notion de genocide.
Des membres de l’opposition ont egalement pris la parole, critiquant le
“laxisme” du gouvernement.
“Le gouvernement reste timide sur les represailles” contre la France,
a ainsi estime Onur Oymen du parti republicain du peuple (CHP,
social-democrate).
Sukru Elekdag, un autre membre du CHP et ancien ambassadeur, a
reclame qu’en riposte a la politique “hostile” de l’Armenie voisine,
les autorites renvoient quelque 70.000 Armeniens travaillant au noir
en Turquie.
Dans une declaration finale, les groupes parlementaires ont declare
que “le peuple turc n’a pas a avoir honte de son histoire”, et que
l’attitude de l’Assemblee francaise “ouvrira des plaies beantes dans
les relations politiques, economiques et militaires franco-turques”.
Des associations de consommateurs ont appele les Turcs a boycotter les
marques francaises. Les milieux d’affaires ont invite a la moderation
pour ne pas nuire aux interets des 65.000 personnes employees par
les entreprises francaises implantees sur le sol turc.
La Turquie est un gros marche pour la France, avec des echanges
chiffres l’an dernier a 8,2 milliards d’euros.
Un boycott officiel n’est pas d’actualite, mais l’exclusion des
firmes francaises des contrats publics est envisagee. Le chef du
patronat francais, Mme Laurence Parisot, a juge mardi la situation
“inquietante” pour les entreprises francaises en Turquie.
–Boundary_(ID_5pxsfT+8PCz2cqksOTJ5fg)–