Turkish leaders routinely proclaim that they are not afraid of facing their country’s past. Yet, the minute someone reminds them of the darkest chapters of their history, they panic and overreact.
The most recent example of Turkish officials’ irrational behavior is their reaction to French initiatives to adopt a law criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide. Despite Turkish threats and retaliatory measures, the bill was adopted by the French Parliament on Dec. 22, 2011, and the Senate is expected to approve it on Jan. 23, 2012.
Here are a few examples of outrageous Turkish overreactions to France and all things French:
— Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s father of participating in the Algerian atrocities while serving in the French Army. Sarkozy’s father shot back by admonishing Erdogan to read his biography, telling him that he had never set foot in Algeria.
— To justify his own country’s genocide of Armenians, Erdogan accused France of committing “genocide” in Algeria. Yet, Erdogan was shocked when Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia rebuked him for playing politics with Algerians’ blood. Ouyahia also blamed Turkey for the deaths of countless Algerians by providing ammunition to France during the colonial period (for which former Turkish Preident Turgut Ozal apologized).
— The mayor of Ankara announced last week that the city council had decided to change the name of “Paris Street” to “Algeria Street,” to rename “Charles De Gaulle Street” in honor of a yet-to-be-named Algerian hero, and to erect a monument dedicated to the Algerian “massacres” in front of the French Embassy in the Turkish capital.
— Turkish factories have been busily manufacturing toilet paper, trash bags, and baby diapers carrying Sarkozy’s name, and condoms with the picture of French Deputy Valerie Boyer, who drafted the bill. Meanwhile, a gang of Turkish hackers attacked the websites of French lawmakers and threatened to rape Boyer and murder her children.
— Prof. Oya Akgonenc wrote a hilarious article titled “Armenian Events in the Triangle of Armenia, France, and America,” in which she identified three “dangerous attackers” of Turkey whose last names start with S: “Sarkozy of France, Sargsyan of Armenia, and Sassounian, head of the Armenian lobby in the United States!”
— Although Turkey called for a boycott of French products and services, Turkish flights to Paris were fully booked, as the number of Turks visiting France during the holidays increased by 10 percent compared to last year. Similarly, trade between the two countries increased by 30 percent after the 2001 French recognition of the Armenian Genocide, despite the Turkish boycott of France.
— French-Algerian businessman Rachid Nekkaz, who proudly declared during a recent visit to Turkey, “I feel like I am a Turk,” announced setting up a 1 million euro ($1.3 million) fund to pay the fine for any Turk arrested in France for denying the Armenian Genocide. Nekkaz failed to inform potential Turkish denialists that the pending French law also carries a sentence of one year in jail, which his fund would be unable to prevent.
— The head of a Turkish news agency called for the closing of French schools in Turkey and the banning of the teaching of French in Turkish schools.
Such nutty statements are likely to multiply after the French Senate approves the bill criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide and Sarkozy signs it into law, in view of the fact that the two largest French parties have expressed their support for the Armenian bill. Imagine the whining of Turkish leaders when Turks are arrested in France for breaking the upcoming law on genocide denial.
Turkish protests will reach a crescendo when the French government proposes to the 25 other states of the European Union a similar anti-denial law, which would lead to the arrest and punishment of Turkish denialists throughout Europe.
Turkish leaders have no one else to blame but themselves for their embarrassing and demeaning predicament. Yet, Turkey is in no position to give lectures about freedom of expression to anyone, given its draconian laws that violate the basic human rights of its own citizens. In France, it is illegal to lie about genocide, while in Turkey, it is illegal to tell the truth!
Instead of blaming the French Senate or the three men “whose last names start with S,” Turkish leaders could get out of their century-long quagmire by acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and making amends to the descendants of dispossessed victims.
Harut Sassounian
California Courier Editor
Harut Sassounian is the publisher of The California Courier, a weekly newspaper based in Glendale, Calif. He is the president of the Armenia Artsakh Fund, a non-profit organization that has donated to Armenia and Artsakh one billion dollars of humanitarian aid, mostly medicines, since 1989 (including its predecessor, the United Armenian Fund). He has been decorated by the presidents of Armenia and Artsakh and the heads of the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic churches. He is also the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Genocide Acknowledgment with Accountability.
Land . Reparations . Restitution
Genocide Acknowledgment without Accountability is Hollow and Meaningless.
Genocide Acknowledgment without Accountability is worse than Denial.
Be ware of a solution (closure) that is worse than the problem.
I wonder if we should slowly stop criticizing Erdogan and even more slowly start asking the US government to issue him a green card. I think he will need it soon.
To me it does not matter what he says or does, what matters is what happens after whatever he says or does. So far, willingly or not, he has been playing into our hand. I think both ARmenia and Turkey would benefit if we could swap the presidents for just one year. Does anyone agree :) ?
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-268889-french-senate-committee-deals-blow-to-armenian-genocide-bill.html
“To me it does not matter what he says or does, what matters is what happens after whatever he says or does”
Yeah right into our hands…
Harut,
You’re right on target with this article — as usual!
The public denial campaign by Turkey has exposed their petty and absurd arguments.The official and unofficial response by Turkey to the French initiative has been an embarrassment to any responsibly thinking Turk. The public is quickly observing that the world is divided into three groups as it relates to the Armenian Genocide…. those who embrace the truth those who deny the truth and those who are publically hesitant. The interesting fact to note is that the first group is growing in impact, the second is becoming increasingly irrelevant and the third group is dominated by geo-political considerations…not a denial of the facts.
Turkey knows that the battle for denial has been lost and the truth is prevailing. We must prepare for the prevention of a hollow victory; that being a public apology with no accountability. I agree with Berge. In my view , Turkey is positioning itself to bee a hero by “apologizing” at some point and transferring the pressure to the Armenians to let it the issue be closed. Think about it. The world has been listening to our demand for justice for decades, but what they hear is “recognition”. We must position our friends and others for our definition of justice. Who speaks for our people. Will the ROA present such a position. Will the Turks exploit the passion of the diaspora and the hesitancy of the ROA? We must have a seamless position. The process is just beginning. There is much to do within our community.
At any moment, Turkey can acknowledge the destruction of Armenians as genocide – rest assured Turkey’s popularity will surge all over Europe and emerge as a hero in the eyes of spineless EU and the morally bankrupt US State Department.
Then what?
At this stage (nearly 100 years later) any Turkish acknowledgment is hollow and meaningless. It is much much worse than denial.
Genocide is a legal term; it is the worst crime humanity has given a name.
Without accountability for land, reparations, and restitution, not to mention the lives that were brutally taken away; and the ongoing genocidal-border-blockade that has forced over a million Armenians to leave their country to seek economic survival elsewhere.
How will genocidal-Turkey change towards Armenia?
Would it give land-locked Armenia *unfettered* access to the black sea ports and unfettered land routes across Turkey to trade and import by land to Europe and Middle East (for the next 200 years)?
Would genocidal-Turkey return the territories of the first Armenian republic 1918-20 (not to be confused with greater Armenia) which Kemal Ataturk attacked and seized 60% of its territory?
Would genocidal-Turkey pay reparations in the upwards of trillion (100 billion) dollars to the republic of Armenia?
Would genocidal-Turkey prevent Azerbaijan from further attacks on Armenians?
If hollow and meaningless acknowledgment satisfies you – go for it.
A crime that is not severely punished is a crime repeated.
Thanks Stepan and Berge
For their their clear comments…
No one can argue…
What they have honestly expressed…
Sylva
Erdogan in my eyes is a political playboy…
He will not win…but probably better than others…
The days will prove…but we should continue our message
Till we win…We can’t live for others to work for our ignored cause…