October 13, 2006
La France Irrationnel (7)- Liberté, Egalité, Stupidité
Turkey has condemned a French parliamentary vote which would make it a crime to deny that Armenians suffered "genocide" at the hands of the Turks. Brussels also condemns the French law...a thin turnout of French legislators approved a bill, but it was approved nonetheless. EU concern is also mentioned in CNN.
Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk leaves a news conference in New York, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006. Pamuk, an international symbol of literary and social conscience, whose poetic, melancholy journeys into the soul of his native Turkey have brought him the many blessings and burdens of public life, won the Nobel literature prize Thursday. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig). Mavi Boncuk provides a detailed Biobibliographical Notes
Today has been a sad day. Not always I get sad with broader political happenings around me as I am quite used to politics by now, but I can't help being upset this time. And many people around me seem to be upset. Anger turned into a kind of despair. A national parliament of a very significant country explicitly takes aim at Turkey. Despite all threats of sanctions, most of the Turks know that they are helpless. This French arrogance at such an highest level will go unpunished. In our bohemian circle in a super smoky café, our chitchat agenda during card playing was that the West has no standards any more. Whatever the Socialists of French parliaments babble, it is just too apparent that they serve for a very strong lobbying effort. If only I could believe in that they really aim to do something good in this life, I would be thinking more positively....This situtation leads to well supported conspiracy theories in the mean time. Even in some intellectual circles some connect the Nobel prize and the parliament vote. Be like Mr. Pamuk and get rewarded otherwise you are condemned... Who can stop the anti-western, anti-EU feelings now?
Turkish parliamentaries, first row, Haluk Koc, left, Onur Oymen, center, and Gulsun Bilgehan, and others unidentified watch debates on the Armenian genocide at the National Assembly, in Paris Thursday Oct.12, 2006. French lawmakers approved a bill making it a crime to deny that mass killings of Armenians in Turkey during and after World War I amounted to genocide. Deputies in the National Assembly voted 106-19 for the bill, which has prompted outrage in Turkey and embarrassed the French government. The issue has become intertwined with Turkey's efforts to join the European Union. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)
Yavuz Baydar has just started blogging and his first posts are related to the genocide vote: Law of stupidity in France- I and II
Anyway, it seems that this time French bill to hit trade ties with Turkey and worsen France-Turkey relations for sure.
* Is Algeria France's sole shame? What about Rwanda? by Sedat Bozkurt
* Should Turkey Not Enter the European Union? View by Sedat Laciner
* What happened to the Ottoman Armenians? (II) by Nurten Mazici
Armenia vote splits Turkish press but in general Turkish press gets harsh with France: In a mockery of the famous motto of the French revolution, the mass-circulation Hurriyet ran the following headline in French: "Liberty, equality and stupidity"
Newspapers in Turkey differ over how to respond to Thursday's vote in the French parliament on a bill that would make it a crime to deny that Turks committed genocide against Armenians during World War I.
Some commentators believe the vote signals opposition to Turkey joining the European Union, and one writer calls France "a disgrace to the civilised world".
Other dailies appeal for a level-headed approach so that Turkey does not "humiliate" itself, and argue that Ankara still has many friends in Europe.
CENGIZ CANDAR IN BUGUN
The draft law is actually a clear sign that "the anti-Turkey rebellion in the EU" has begun. That's why we cannot and must not see today's vote and its results exclusively in terms of relations between Turkey and France. This contains dimensions that can turn into a Turkey-EU issue, and the opposition against Turkey in the EU has begun to present an ugly face.
HASAN CEMAL IN MILLIYET
In Europe there are not only those who want to keep Turkey outside of the EU. There are also those who defend Turkey's EU membership in terms of the contribution it will make to the political, economic and strategic interests of Europe. That is why staying on track and continuing the journey to Europe is certainly to Turkey's benefit.
EMIN COLASAN IN HURRIYET
As long as we keep begging the Europeans on the way towards the EU, many more genocide tales, and many other issues and embarrassing obstacles will be set before us. Those who do not see this are either liars attempting to deceive the nation or the ignorant ready to sell their country to the EU.
MEHMET ALI BIRAND IN POSTA
Let us not provoke those Turkish people who cannot control their reactions. Let us tell France to "stop" but do that within civilised limits. Let us not humiliate ourselves nor incite xenophobia in Turkey.
OKTAY EKSI IN HURRIYET
We stress that France is a disgrace to the civilised world. However, it is a precondition for Turkey, which tells others that "what you are doing is shameful in terms of freedom of expression" first of all to get rid of its own sources of shame.
ILHAN SELCUK IN CUMHURIYET
France is not alone in this move. The West has changed towards Turkey! If France punishes those who say that "there was no Armenian genocide" it will be a shameful historical document and permit us to perceive the new realities of the world.
SAHIN ALPAY IN ZAMAN
Ankara is getting ready to retaliate against France if it turns the denial of the "Armenian Genocide" into a crime. Even if we assume that the EU politicians and elites are not so stupid as to take steps that will push Turkey away from Europe, it seems inevitable that Turkey-EU relations will go through a tense period in the future.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/6043290.stm
Posted to Armenian Question | Casual analyses | Commentaries | Habitus
As Gary Jule's sang: its a mad world
All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places
Worn out faces
Bright and early for the daily races
Going no where
Going no where
Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression
No expression
Hide my head I wanna drown my sorrow
No tomorrow
No tomorrow
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it's a very very
Mad world
Mad world
i wonder...
do you have right to use ap photos? don't you have to pay for it? i don't think they are for public use for non-members, or is this a 'public use'?..
besides, this is a funny page, i like it, you know..
Posted by: gulnaz at October 13, 2006 11:14 AMTo France!
Madame/Monsieur le Depute
Concernant le projet de Loi du soi-disant ''genocide armenien'' que vous devez voter le 12 Octobre, les personnes qui ne reconnaitront pas ce genocide seront punies de d'emprisonnement et de 45.000 ? d'amende.
Nous contestons et protestons ce projet de Loi.
Dans le cas de l'acceptation de cette loi, vous empecherez la liberte d'expression mais vous serez aussi responsables d'une eventuelle provocation entre les deux communautes. Si tel etait le cas, la France en porterait la lourde responsabilite.
Il est aussi evident que les relations humaines entre les Turcs et les Fran硩s seront negativement touchees. En priorite ce seront les relations commerciales qui seront atteintes.
Les deputes fran硩s ne doivent pas pervertir les faits historiques pour leur interet politique, les resultats auront des faits internationaux importants.
Nous vous demandons de retirer ce projet de loi et de laisser les historiens faire l'histoire.Nous vous prions d'arreter de jouer avec notre dignite et notre honneur.Nous vous prions d'agreer, Madame/Monsieur le Parlementaire, l'expression de nos sentiments distingues.
Genocide of France in Algeria in 1945
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEyXkAMmYPg
Hi Erkan-
My name is Robin Amer and I'm a producer with the public radio show Open Source (www.radioopensource.org) which is a nationally syndicated show based in Boston, and hosted by Christopher Lydon, formerly of NPR's The Connection. I hope this finds you well.
I'm writing because we're hoping to do a show next Thursday about Turkey and some of the recent news. I was hoping I could speak to you to get your take on some of the things you've been writing about, and about possibly being a guest on our show.
please get in touch with me if you're interested. Thanks so much. I look forward to hearing from you.
best,
Robin Amer
Robin Amer
Producer
Open Source
www.radioopensource.org
robin@radioopensource.org
617 497 8097
Republic of Turkiye is always willing to open up its archieves in order to prove that a genocide has not happened. If you or any of your friends know Turkish, then I would recommend you to visit the Government Archieves of Turkish Republic, if you are not able to do that, then I'd recommend you to visit the site: http://www.ermenisorunu.gen.tr/english/intro/index.html
One should be Turk in order to realise the truth about Armenians, it is not a genocide nor a war against those people. Jews were killed by Hitler, none of them remaining were rich, but Armenians were able to build up their own government after the World War I and Turkish Independence War. If they were killed like the Jews, then how would they build up their own government??
People are free to declare their opinions but only after analysing what they are talking about!!!