Turkey’s leaders threatened France for months with various reprisals should the French government pass a law making it illegal to deny the Armenian Genocide.
Ignoring Turkish threats and blackmail, the French Parliament adopted a bill on Dec. 22, 2011, criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide. The Senate followed suit on Jan. 23, 2012, with a vote of 127-86, after a 7-hour debate. The new law, to be signed soon by President Nicolas Sarkozy, carries a one-year jail term and a fine of ~$60,000 for anyone denying the genocide. Every single member of the French legislature, even those voting against the bill, stated that they had no doubt whatsoever about the facts of the Armenian Genocide.
The hour of truth has now arrived. One wonders if Turkey’s leaders have the courage to carry out their bombastic declarations. We would like to ask them two questions: 1) Are you all talk and no action, or, as the saying goes, is your bark worse than your bite? 2) Will you be taking short-term face-saving measures or more serious and permanent steps?
Unlike a month ago, the Turkish public will not be satisfied if the ambassador is withdrawn, only to be sent back in two weeks. Also, Turks may not be too impressed by their prime minister’s announcement that he will no longer visit Paris.
While Turkish officials are recovering from the shock of the French vote, we wish to offer some tips on how Turks can make a bad situation even worse. In its fury, the Turkish government may take retaliatory measures not only against France, but against all countries that have recognized the genocide. Such extreme, irrational, and self-defeating actions would contribute to Turkey’s isolation and hurt its own interests. Below are suggested ideas on how Turkey could settle scores with France and other perceived adversaries:
1) Withdraw the Turkish ambassador from France and do not send him back until the French government renounces its acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide and the newly adopted French bill.
2) Expel the French ambassador from Turkey and shut down the French Embassy.
3) Break all economic, military, cultural, and political ties with France.
4) Collect all French products such as chocolates and wines from store shelves throughout Turkey and dump them in the sewer; and ban French fries and French kissing!
5) Cancel all Turkish Airlines flights to French cities and do not allow Air France flights to Turkey. Place similar restrictions on French ships.
6) Prohibit the teaching of French in Turkish schools and shut down private French schools in Turkey.
7) Forbid access to all French websites.
8) Discontinue Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union, in view of the expected submission of similar measures on genocide denial to all 26 EU member countries.
9) Cancel Turkey’s membership in the Council of Europe because in 1987 the European Parliament recognized the Armenian Genocide.
10) Withdraw from the United Nations because in 1985 the UN Human Rights Commission adopted a report recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
11) Ban all Turkish official visits to France.
12) Expel all French citizens from Turkey and demand that all Turkish citizens immediately leave the territory of France.
13) Do not allow French tourists and businessmen to enter Turkey.
14) Shut down French automobile factories in Turkey (causing the unemployment of thousands of Turkish workers).
15) Rename all French streets in Turkey to Algerian and North Korean names.
16) Adopt a resolution by the Turkish Parliament accusing France for the so-called Algerian “genocide.”
17) Deport all citizens of Armenia working illegally in Turkey. Deprive them of all food and water during their long march from Istanbul to Armenia—or, even worse, to the Syrian desert!
18) Withdraw all private and public Turkish funds from French banks.
19) Blacklist all French books, movies, newspapers, and TV programs in Turkey.
20) Arrest French citizens in Turkey in retaliation for Turks imprisoned in France for denying the Armenian Genocide.
The French Senate’s decision is part of the high price the Turkish government has been paying for the past 100 years for its persistent denial of the Armenian Genocide and the heinous crimes committed by its Ottoman predecessors. Until Turkey acknowledges its guilt and restores Armenian lands and properties to the descendants of genocide victims, it will continue to face serious challenges from other countries and will be denied a place in the family of civilized nations.
Harut Sassounian
21) Approximately 5% of the Turkish language consists of French words or loanwords (about 5.000 words). These words must be deleted from the Turkish language.
Well I’m sure you’d all love that. It seems however you do not know Erdogan. He talks big, doesn’t take action. Ever.
22) Ban the sale of french fries in Turkey
That’s number 4 in my article.
23) Keep on saying that NO MUSLIM can commit a genocide. (As Erdogan likes to say it)
You forgot to add destroy all remaining armenian artifacts and buildings including churches.
Why destroy? They know how to make use of everything they ”have”. They can build minarets and call them mosques like they did with many churches.
24) Rename Musa Dağı where French sailors saved 4100 Armenians from extermination by the Turkish army and irregulars during the Armenian genocide to Recep Tayyip Dağı.
25) Reprocess ‘Napoleon’ cognac to ‘Atatürk’ raki
26) Remove the term “lingua franca” from Turkish dictionaries, vocabularies, and textbooks.
P.S. Yesil, most of them have already been barbarously destroyed by Turks. Armenians on their skin know that Ottoman Turks were destroyers, so your suggestion is not original, I’m afraid.
27. Change the color of the Turkish flag to the more appropriate black, since France’s tricolour features a RED vertical band.
28) Introduce Article 301(Z) to the Turkish Penal Code: “A person who publicly praises Frenchness, the Republic or the National Assembly of France, shall be punishable by imprisonment of between six months and three years.”
Paul jan.. now that is hllarious.. well said…:)
29. Ban the 1971 crime film “The French Connection”…
when erdogan says muslims dont comit genocide he is right in an islamic way.. you see muslims think that killing christians and taking ther wifes .sisters. mothers . lands .. you name it is [islamic jihad] just like what the quran [ordersthem to do] so he knows what he is talking about..check there quran and you will see what iam talking about
Not once in the Quran is the word jihad used in the context of “holy war” or physical fighting. Jihad means struggle, it means fight, but never clarified as violent or nonviolent. Because people have perverted it’s open ended meaning to justify wars and invasions does not make it the truth. Every religion essentially has the same positive message, it is humans who use religion as a political tool that create problems amongst religions.
Im not against Frances new bill. Its a good thing indeed. This article is pretty interesting & entertaining. Im 100% armenian BUT Armenian from Istanbul. But I assure you..theres ALOT more Turkey can do if they really want.. Its unfortunate that the the diaspora armenians all over the world living outside of Turkey are quite ignorant to how and what Armenians may be be subject to in Istanbul due to the passing of this bill.. You should always get an opinion about Armenian Turkish anything from an armenian originating in or out of Turkey.. You’d be surprised what you can learn that you were quite ignorant to before.. Turkeys economic situation is far better than Frances in many regards and they can definately hurt and effect Frances economy to some extent once they pull a couple plugs here and their.. I most definately will always prefer my Travels to Turkey over France.. No Comparision to be honest.
Zareh Uzunoglu you worry about what Armenians will be subjected to in Istanbul??? What about our 2 million dead? I don’t think the Turkish-Armenians have a right to ask the rest of the Armenians to weaken their resolve to get Genocide recognition from Turkey or any other country just to protect Turkish-Armenian interests.
Sorry Mr. Uzunoglu:
When you write this {“theres ALOT more Turkey can do if they really want.”},
I wonder if you really are who you say you are.
Turks do really want to do a lot more (as far as threats and actions): you can see it in their faces read with rage. But they cannot. If they could, they would: Please don’t insult our intelligence.
When you write {“Turkeys economic situation is far better than France’s”} – you are either misinformed about how the World economy works, or you are just shilling for Turks.
France per capita GDP: US$ 33,100.
Turkey per capita GDP: US$ 12,300.
At least 50% of Turkey’s exports go to EU. About 70% (I believe, not sure exactly) of exports go the wealthy (Christian) West. So please stop crowing about Turkey’s economy: its economy lives or dies by the health of its export markets in the West: Germany, France, USA, Canada….
And ask yourself this basic question: if Turkey is so much better than France, why is it that of the 4-5 million of Turks living in Europe (including France) very, very few have returned to Turkey ?
How many Frenchmen have immigrated into Turkey ?
How many Frenchmen want to immigrate into Turkey ?
West does not need Turkey: Turkey needs the West.
Zareh, we Armenians in the Diaspora are very cognizant of what Turkish government is capable of doing to the minorities in their country. Byproduct of this resolution is to expose Turkey of its genocidal antics.
On the contrary, this resolution will make the Turkish Armenians live comfortably and with dignity in Turkey, eventually. I wish the Turkish Diaspora (Turkish Armenians abroad) would not speak on behalf of Armenia’s Diaspora.
Mr. Sassonian
I know you will enjoy a short lived victory but I feel that you Armenians waste your times here
Obviously we are not wasting our time.
When the French bill becomes Law, make sure you visit France and repeat this in public:
{‘Calling the issue that was fabricated by the defeated armenians as the Armenian Genocide is an insult to the memories of the Jewish victims of the holocaust’ }(Monastras, posted 2011-5-16 @Hurriyet)
Then email us from jail and tell us how we are wasting our time.
Monastras,
Shame on you as a woman support your ancestral committed genocide, and calling “victory” for Armenians.. how low life people like you are around Turkey even today, where the truth is so hard for a brainwashed country, to accept about Christian Genocide Of Turkey….instead of praying to Allah your Altai worshipers, asking from school kids to scream “I am a Turk and and I am happy and I am right”!!
Do you believe in civilized world this is an acceptable act?? especially in European civilization, that you people are dreaming to get in there?? Unfortunately neither Christian Europe and nor Islamic world, accepting Turkish style dictatorship and fascism, my dear Monastras!!
ha ha… i want to see that too Avery jan.. i would love to see Monastras Xanum repeating that in France… :)
30. Dig up Victor Hugo from his grave and make him apologize to Erdogan for disseminating “falsehood” while describing savagery and carnage Turks leave behind them:
“Les turcs ont passé là. Tout est ruine et deuil” (The Turks went through here. All is ruin and sorrow)
“Wherever the Turkish hoof trods, no grass grows”
To dear HARUT Sassounian ,
YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE HIGH ESTEEM towards you.I have several times mentioned here online that you are our ex-officio spokesman,this sida of the Atlantic ocean. Therefore, having read above (your comments) I -for the first time-take the liberty in ASKING you,suggesting to you …that you excercize a bit more tact in critisizing the Truks,in this CASE , THEIR PREMIERE.For we all know(or do we, all of us) Turkish wrath is not easy to handle,when very much irritated.They may resort to any measure,and I mean any,before the far away Powers to be can check them.
Let us be content that recent signs ,whether from France or This side of the ocean show some and I mean “some” ,not total support towards our JUST Case/cause.
I’m certain you will understand my concern is that we be very carefull in dealing with them. One ,when he is winning -in my viewpoint-should be a bit careful and cautious in further annoying and teasing the looser.
News had it today that Aliev hijo(son) before heading to Sochi had gone to Shahumian(were they did ethnic cleansing of Armenians totally,100% i.e. s as to boast to his people and army that they had AT LEAST WON THAT BATTLE.You see….WE DON’T WANT TO BE LIKE THEM…
Hope you understand what i wish to convey.
This post of mine also is directed to those in this forum who also carry on correspondence with with Turks or pro Turks here in a fashion that the the Turks employ.No!!! we do not wish to be like them.
With Best Regards,
Gaytzag Palandjian
Oh well, Turkey is much stronger and mighty than Armenia but we are not Turks’ slaves. How long are we going to look at Turkey to see where the sun is going to arise in Turkey today so that we can act accordingly? Enough is enough. We have to finally man up and speak and act freely. It was like that in Ottoman empire too. The reason why Armenians were slaughtered is because they could not unite. There were too many Turk-loving Armenian traitors. And I do not like how we buy Turkish games after so many years. Mr. Aliev has gone to Shaumyan and boasted about their victory? I classify it as a desperate move nothing more nothing less. Turks also boast of deporting illegal Armenians from Turkey. Let them deport them. You think Armenia is going to suffer from it? Quite the contrary. They have been using those illegal Armenians in Turkey as a human shield for many years. There was no single speech made by Erdogan in international meetings without letting the world know what a great nation Turkey is to feed 100.000 illegal Armenians. Turks still think they owe Armenia. I met only very few Turks in my life on scientific meetings and guess what the first thing they ask is do you speak Turkish. When they hear no I don’t the surprised why follows ? Then I ask them do you speak Armenian. They are of course no. Then I nicely tell them that I do not speak Turkish for the same reason they do not speak Armenian.
Yasil,
After Genocide, only Kurds and Turks are living in Turkey, especially around old Armenian Churches!!Turks have natural ability to change a mosque to Church and Church to Mosque in few days time!!!this is how the Turkish politics work in Turkey and for people like you!!The only hope left that those forced Islamized Christians slowly find their real roots and return back to their old civilization and get baptized in those Armenian Churches, that once was the symbol of early Christianity in that part of the world!!
Meanwhile Erdogan, in order to make upset Turks happy should ban “French fries” from all Tourist areas and change penal code 301 from Turkish to French!!
Trois cents et l’un!!
have a Turkish raki instead of French champagne!!
But in Muhammad’s Charter of Privileges (now at St. Catherine Monastery in Mt. Sinai, Egypt), he vowed the protection of Christians, freedom of worship and movement, freedom to maintain their property, exemption from military service, and the right to protection in war.
Apparently, Ottoman Turks never read this sacred Instruction of their Prophet. It looks like they were not only a self-centered discriminating ilk, but bad Muslims, too.
Agreed. Islam does not advocate massacring non-Muslims, or massacring anyone. Quote from the Quran: “Forgive and show indulgence to them…Whosoever surrendereth his purpose to God while doing good, his reward is with HIS Lord; and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve” (2:109-112).
Perverting the word of God to justify and carry out inhumane acts is essentially, to me, treason. It all goes to the same point: education. It is the common denominator that the perpetrators of genocide and those who deny it today continue to lack.
Here is a modern translation of Deuteronomy 17:2-6: “If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns the LORD gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God in violation of his covenant, 3 and contrary to my command has worshiped OTHER gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or the moon or the stars in the sky, 4 and this has been brought to your attention, then you must investigate it thoroughly. If it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, 5 take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to DEATH.”
Anyone can do a simple google search and present “facts” about a certain religion. Any verse that is quoted out of context misses the whole point of the message of the Quran. Nowhere in the Qur’an is there support for indiscriminate slaughter, the killing of non-combatants, or murder of innocent persons in ‘payback’ for another people’s alleged crimes. So, refer to what Paul said. Ottoman Turks weren’t very good Muslims.
The second comment was addressed to George, not you Paul. My mistake.
31) Pin a French croissant on the French flag to resemble the Turkish one
32/ Declare that all investments that the French made for constructing railways and ports for Turkey were actually made by the Turks themselves…
Monastras
Are we really enjoying our “short-lived” victory? One should be blind not to see that for the last few decades more and more parliaments, international bodies and even Turkish intellectuals and citizens acknowledging the Genocide? May be it is you who is wasting his time here.
33. Collect French croissants from bakeries and patisseries in Constantinople and dispatch them to Messrs. Erdogan and Davutoghlu as dietary nutrition substance while investigating the reason why millions of Greeks, Armenians and other Ottoman Christians suddenly ceased to exist.
Sure, Monastras —
When you Turks were mass murdering, death marching, burning and burying alive, mass raping, torturing, and mutilating the Ottoman Christians, you weren’t wasting your time. You were doing this for a ‘noble’ cause of savagely emptying Asia Minor from its indigenous inhabitants. But when you’re required to pay for your nation’s sins, Armenians ‘waste their times’. Some Turkish ‘logic’!
RVDV..LOOKS LIKE YOUR INFORMATION IN THE QURAN NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED..islam is built on taking what others have . you say jihad can have more then one meaning but in sora [9-29] here the quran orders muslims to fight and kill the christians and jews and [make] them pay [jezya] which is a penalty for [not accepting islam] and this is after councoring there lands may i say.. while they are humleyated . this is your islam and this is exactly what turks did..they used to say[kill a [kafer] a non muslim and get more rewords in [jana] thats islams heavin.. so here it is sora 9-29..[[Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture – [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.
SOUNDS LIKE THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT IS VERY GUILTY! CLOSING DOWN FRENCH FACTORIES AND CAUSING UNEMPLOYMENT FOR TURKISH CITIZENS. SELFISH, ARROGANT,
Yesil,Sella:
The turks have to demonish more than Armenian churches, castles, memorials..
They also have to demolish anything built by ethnic Armenians… Sinan, Balyans,and numerous others. By these actions they will have nothing left…
Even their Latin script was created by an Armenian, Agop Dilaçar. So yes, they would really have nothing left (or, I guess, they would go back to the Arabic script).
Can you do something better than destroying cultural monuments? Why are you still offended when you are called barbarians?
34) Keep on looking in the mirror and keep on asking “how come we don’t look like Mongolians? What happened to our ORIGINAL TURKISH LOOKS? Did we not come from Mongolia? Were we not Seljuks? Was it the evolution that changed us so quick or was it ARmenians?
Do it twice a day (or as many times as you prey).