Tag: France

  • Thousands of Turks gather in Paris to protest genocide bill

    Thousands of Turks gather in Paris to protest genocide bill

    PARIS – Anatolia News Agency

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    Thousands of people gathered in the French capital to protest a bill that penalizes rejection of Armenian genocide claims today.

    Nearly 35,000 Turks living in France and other European countries gathered despite rain and cold weather to shun the bill .

    The bill is seto to come to the French Senate floor Monday Jan. 23 when members of the Senate could vote to uphold a parliamentary committee decision against the proposed law and drop the bill without debate.

    Protesters carried French, Turkish, Algerian and Azerbaijani flags and chanted slogans urging senator to act against the legislation.

    “I have been living in France for fifty years and I haven’t seen so many Turks got together. Turks in Europe for the first time had the chance to raise a strong voice against an injustice done to them,” Demir Önger, head of a Paris-based Turkish culture association said.

    A bill proposed by the ruling party penalizes the rejection of Armenian genocide claims in France with a 45,000 euro fine a and one year in jail.

    A similar bill — proposed by the Socialist Party — was approved in 2006 by the lower house but the Senate rejected to debate the bill in May 2011.

  • Turkish Kiss to Sarkozy and Valerie

    Turkish Kiss to Sarkozy and Valerie

    TolgaalAlain Juppe, the foreign minister of France, urged Türkiye “not to overreact” but Ankara was naturally furious and immediately recalled its ambassador, announced a raft of sanctions and promised they were the first on an escalating list of measures.

     

    • Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan stated France ‘burned Algerians in ovens’
    • Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan stated “This is politics based on racism, discrimination and xenophobia. “
    • Ambassador of Türkiye Tahsin Burcuoglu recalled from Paris today in protest.
    • Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan claimed ‘This is using  Turkophobia and Islamophobia to gain votes, and it raises concerns regarding these issues not only in Francebut all Europe.’

    Türkiye froze political and military relations with France in retaliation for the approval by the French parliament’s lower chamber of a measure that makes it a crime to deny so called genocide against Armenians a century ago.

    Erdogan said Ottoman Türkiye hadn’t committed genocide against Armenians and that his country is proud of its own history.   Türkiye will “take incremental steps and apply them with determination as long as this position continues,” Erdogan said today in Istanbul.

    The French legislation is “unjust, inaccurate and Türkiye condemns it vehemently,” Erdogan stated.  “People will not forgive those who distort history, or use history as a tool for political exploitation.”

    Türkiye accuses French colonialists of massacres in Algeria after Paris bill makes it a crime to deny killings of Armenians in 1915 byOttoman Empire was genocide.

    “France massacred an estimated 15 per cent of the Algerian population starting from 1945. This is genocide,” Mr Erdogan stated, accusing Mr Sarkozy of “fanning hatred of Muslims and Turks for electoral gains.” “This vote that took place in France, a France in which five million Muslims live, clearly shows to what point racism, discrimination and Islamophobia have reached dangerous levels in France and Europe,” he stated. When it comes to massacres French action against Algerian rebels in the aftermath of the Second World War, Mr Erdogan concluded Mr Sarkozy’s father had been a French legionnaire in Algeriain 1945 and should be able to tell his son of “massacres”.

    France fought a long guerrilla war between 1954 and 1962 to try to hang on to its Algerian colony. Estimates for the number of dead vary wildly.Algeriaputs it at more than a million, French historians estimate 250,000.

    Earlier, Türkiye’s ambassador to France had left Paris and Ankara had announced diplomatic sanctions – banning political visits between the countries – and frozen military ties between the theoretical Nato allies.  “We are really very sad. Franco-Turkish relations did not deserve this,” Ambassador Tahsin Burcuoglu said before taking a flight home. “When there is a problem it always comes from the French side.” “The damage is already done. We have been accused of genocide! How could we not overreact? Türkiye will never recognise this story of an Armenian genocide.” he stated.”There are limits. A country like Türkiye cannot be treated like this,” he declared.

    French carmakers including Renault control a fifth of Türkiye’s auto market and French banks including BNP Paribas SA have assets in the country exceeding $20 billion. French direct investment in Türkiye between 2002 and 2010 was $4.8 billion according to Turkish Embassy in Paris.

    Türkiye has been warning France for the past week that its fast-growing economy means it can really hurt companies such as Airbus SAS and Electricite de France SA if the measure goes through.  Türkiye’s economy grew an annual 8.2 percent in the third quarter, a pace only exceeded by China in the world.

    French carmaker Renault SA employs 6,800 people in Türkiye and is pressing on with production because the “French decision is a political development,” said Ibrahim Aybar, chief executive officer of Renault Mais in an interview on CNBC-e television.

    In a conversation with journalists ,“The French bill is counter-productive because the emotional reaction in Türkiye can set back the cause for years,” Pope said by telephone. “That’s why France is so short-sighted to introduce this bill.” Pope stated.

     

     

     

    Tolga Çakır

     

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    “Condemnation without hearing both sides is unjust and un-American”Arthur Tremaine Chester, “Angora and the Turks,” The New York Times Current History, Feb.1923

     

    “Believing Armenophile publicity ‘exaggerated, misconstructed, and abusive,’ [Admiral] Bristol in early 1920 told [Rev.] Barton… that it was contrary to the American sense of fair play to kick a man when he was down and give him a chance to defend himself.”Joseph L. Grabill, “PROTESTANT DIPLOMACY AND THE NEAR EAST: Missionary influence on American policy, 1810-1927,” 1971, p. 264

     

    “…Matter sent to the papers by their correspondents in Turkey is biased against the Turks. This implies an injustice against which even a criminal on trial is protected.”Gordon Bennett, publisher, The New York Herald, circa 1915
    “No Englishman worthy of the name would condemn a prisoner on the evidence of the prosecution alone, without first hearing the evidence for the defence.”C.F. Dixon-Johnson, British author, from his 1916 book, “The Armenians.”

     

    “There is no crime without evidence. A genocide cannot be written about in the absence of factual proof.” Henry R. Huttenbach, history professor who appears to support the Armenian viewpoint exclusively, as do… curiously… nearly all so-called “genocide scholars”; The Genocide Forum, 1996, No. 9
    “It is… time that Americans ceased to be deceived by (Armenian) propaganda in behalf of policies which are… nauseating…”John Dewey, Columbia University professor, “The Turkish Tragedy,”  TheNew Republic, Nov. 1928

     

     

     

     

    For nearly a century, the Western World has wholeheartedly accepted that there has been an attempt by the Ottoman Turks to systematically destroy the Armenian people, comparable to what the Nazis committed upon the Jews during World War II. Many Armenians who have settled in America, Europe and Australia (along with other parts of the world, known as “The Armenian Diaspora”) have clung to the tragic events of so long ago as a form of ethnic identity, and have considered it their duty to perpetuate this myth, with little regard for facts… at the same time breeding hatred among their young. As descendants of the merchant class from the Ottoman Empire, Armenians have been successful in acquiring the wealth and power to make their voices heard… and they have made good use of the “Christian” connection to gain the sympathies of Westerners who share their religion and prejudices.

    Turks characteristically shun propaganda, and have chosen not to dwell on the tragedies of the past, forging ahead to build upon brotherhood — not hate. This is why the horrifying massacres committed upon the Turks, Kurds and other Ottoman Muslims by Armenians have seldom been heard. When such reports are heard, Westerners can be callously dismissive… Turkish lives are apparently as meaningless to them as Indian lives were to most early Americans.

    (The following is an excerpt from Dr. Leon Picon, reviewing the book, “THE ARMENIAN FILE”):

     

  • Turkey to issue diplomatic note to France over PKK

    Turkey to issue diplomatic note to France over PKK

    Disisleri1The Turkish Embassy has officially filed a lawsuit regarding Wednesday\’s occupation.

    Turkey will give a note to France on Thursday regarding occupation of Turkish Tourism & Cultural Counsellor’s Office in Paris by PKK members.

    Diplomatic sources told AA correspondent that “Turkey would give a note to French Foreign Ministry on Thursday, and ask France to protect its diplomatic missions and representations in a better way, and not to tolerate members of the terrorist organization.”

    Turkey’s Ambassador to France Tahsin Burcuoglu met French Interior Minister Claude Gueant on Wednesday evening. It was a meeting scheduled beforehand as Gueant was planning to visit Turkey in coming days.

    During the meeting, Burcuoglu referred to occupation of Turkey’s Tourism & Culture Counsellor’s Office by PKK members and expressed Turkey’s uneasiness about PKK acts on French territories.

    The Turkish Embassy has officially filed a lawsuit regarding Wednesday’s occupation.

    During French Interior Minister Claude Gueant’s formal visit to Ankara on October 6, the two countries will “discuss cooperation against terrorism in detail” and they will sign a cooperation agreement on domestic security.

    Gueant and Turkish Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin will put their signatures under the agreement which will cover concrete cooperation mechanisms in combatting terrorism.

    The agreement is important as it is the first time Turkey will sign such a comprehensive text on domestic security with an important European Union (EU) member state.

    Once the presidential secretary general and President Nicolas Sarkozy’s “right hand man,” Gueant will be received by Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.

    France is staging intense operations against the PKK in for the last two years.

    The Paris Court has recently tried 18 people, including top members in Europe. The prosecutor’s office demanded prison terms ranging between six months and six years for the suspects, and requested that the headquarters in Paris be closed.

    The court will make its verdict on the case on November 2.

    World Bullet

     

  • France Urges Progress On Karabakh, Turkish-Armenian Ties

    France Urges Progress On Karabakh, Turkish-Armenian Ties

    A03ED15E 850E 4ED9 BD81 3BD94ABB150B w527 sFrance — President Nicolas Sarkozy (L) bids farewell to his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisian at Elysee Palace in Paris, 10Mar2010

    10.03.2010
    Ruzan Kyureghian in Paris

    French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged more intensive efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and a quick implementation of the Turkish-Armenian normalization agreements during talks with his visiting Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarkisian, on Wednesday.

    The two leaders met in Paris on the second day of Sarkisian’s official visit to France. None of them made any public statements after the meeting. Their joint news briefing scheduled beforehand was cancelled for unknown reasons.

    Official Armenian and French sources said the talks touched upon bilateral relations, the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process and the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations.

    A spokesman for Sarkozy said the French leader called for “developing the dynamic” of the ongoing work on the “basic principles” of a Karabakh settlement put forward by the U.S., Russian and French mediators co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group.

    The mediators hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan will iron out their remaining differences over the proposed framework agreement in the course of this year. Armenian leaders have indicated, however, that a breakthrough in the peace talks is still not on the horizon.

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    France — Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian reviews the presidential guard at Elysee Palace in Paris, 10Mar2010

    Sarkozy, according to his spokesman, urged the conflicting parties to reinvigorate their search for a mutually acceptable deal. “One should take the necessary steps that will lead to a lasting peace and would be beneficial not only for the two countries but the whole region,” he was cited as telling Sarkisian.

    Sarkozy was also reported to say that Armenia and Turkey should have “the courage to move forward and use this historic opportunity” to normalize their relations. The spokesman said he specifically stressed that a speedy ratification of their fence-mending “protocols” is expected not only by France but the broader international community.

    Sarkisian’s office gave no details of the two presidents’ discussions on Karabakh and Turkey, in a written statement issued later in the day. It said only that Sarkozy praised the Armenian leader’s “efforts aimed at establishing peace and stability in the region.”

    “Nicolas Sarkozy reaffirmed his country’s intention to develop relations with the Republic of Armenia in all directions and stressed that France has been and remains Armenia’s friend, always standing by its side,” read the statement. He also spoke of a “sincere sympathy towards Armenia and the Armenian people” existing France, it said.

    Sarkisian, for his part, described France as his country’s “reliable partner and ally on the international stage. “President Sarkisian noted with satisfaction that French-Armenian relations are dynamically developing in all areas,” his office said.

    The Elysee Palace spokesman said the two men discussed ways of boosting bilateral economic ties and welcomed in that regard the French telecom giant Orange’s recent entry into Armenia. He said France is not satisfied with the current volume of French-Armenian commercial contacts and hopes that they will increase in the near future.

    https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1980071.html
  • Israel’s attacks will lead to its isolation

    Israel’s attacks will lead to its isolation

    By Gideon Levy

    A8Israel has been dealing one blow after another to the rest of the world. While China has still not recovered from Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s absence from the reception at its Tel Aviv embassy – a serious punishment for China’s support for the Goldstone report – France is licking its wounds after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “vetoed” a visit by the French foreign minister to Gaza. And Israel has dealt another blow: Its ambassador in Washington, Michael Oren, will boycott the conference next week of the new Israel lobby J Street.

    China, France and J Street will somehow get by despite these boycotts, Turkey will also recover from the great vacationers’ revolt, and we can expect that even the Swedes and Norwegians will recover from Israel’s loud reprimands. But a country that attacks and boycotts everyone who does not exactly agree with its official positions will become isolated, forsaken and detestable: North Korea of today or Albania of yesterday. It’s actually quite strange for Israel to use this weapon, as it is about to turn into the victim of boycotts itself.

    Israel strikes and strikes again. It strikes its enemies, and now it strikes out at its friends who dare not fall exactly in line with its official policies. The J Street case is a particularly serious example. This Jewish organization rose in America along with Barack Obama. Its members want a fair and peace-seeking Israel.

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    That’s their sin, and their punishment is a boycott.

    Oren, meanwhile, is a devoted representative: He also is boycotting. After criticizing Israeli columnists, including this one, in an article in The New Republic for daring to criticize Netanyahu’s speech at the UN – an outrage in its own right – the ambassador-propagandist uses the boycott weapon against a new and refreshing Jewish and Zionist organization that is trying to battle the nationalistic and heavy-handed Jewish-American establishment.

    In whose name is Oren doing that? Not in the name of Israeli society, whose ambassador he supposedly is. The former ambassadors from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union would have acted the same way.

    Such aggressiveness is a bad sign. It will drive away our last true friends and deepen our isolation. “A nation alone” has turned into our goal, our isolation has become an aspiration. Whom will we have left after we attack and boycott everyone? Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League? Our propagandist-attorney Alan Dershowitz?

    Dividing the world up between absolute good and evil – our side and our enemies, with no middle ground – is a sign of despair and a complete loss of direction. It’s not just our ambassador in Washington, who knows nothing at all about democracy and pluralism and only wants to please his masters. Such behavior – kicking and barking crazily in every direction – is destroying Israel.

    Without giving us a chance to voice our opinion, Israel is falling to the status of an international pariah, the abomination of the nations. And whom can we thank for that? Operation Cast Lead, for example. Only the United States remains our automatic and blind ally for all our mistakes. Another democracy that saw its status deteriorating so much would ask itself first and foremost what mistakes it had made.

    In Israel our approach is exactly the opposite: The rest of the world is guilty. The Scandinavians are hostile and the Turks are enemies, the French and British hate Israel, the Chinese are only Chinese and the Indians can’t teach us anything.

    Any legitimate criticism is immediately labeled here as anti-Semitism, including Richard Goldstone, the Jewish Zionist. We are pushing everyone into a corner roughly and hope they will change their opinions and suddenly be filled with a deep understanding for the killing of children in Gaza. Now America too, even its Jews, are no longer immune to this aggressive Israel mad with grandeur.

    The damage is piling up from Beijing all the way to New York. After the J Street boycott even American Jews will know that Israel is not a tolerant, open-minded or liberal country, despite what they are being told.

    Now they will know that “the only democracy in the Middle East” is not exactly that, and whoever does not repeat and proclaim its propaganda messages will be considered an enemy – they may also be punished severely.

    They should just ask the billion Chinese who are licking their wounds from the mortal blow the Israeli Foreign Minster dealt them personally.

    Haaretz

  • Turkey to ‘never give up’ EU bid

    Turkey to ‘never give up’ EU bid

    tTurkey has urged France and Germany to back its bid to join the EU, rejecting calls for a special partnership rather than full membership.

    “We will never give up,” Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Brussels.

    Turkey’s EU accession talks are going at a glacial pace and risk suspension if Ankara fails to open its ports and airports to Cyprus this year.

    France and Germany want to give Turkey a “privileged partnership” with the EU.

    But Mr Erdogan insisted “our goal is full membership”.

    He also said it was “populist and wrong” to use Turkey’s bid as an election issue.

    Some right-wing parties opposed to Turkey’s bid made gains in the recent European Parliament elections.

    Slow progress

    The BBC’s Oana Lungescu says both opposition inside the EU and insufficient democratic reforms in Turkey are hampering its bid.

    Next week will see a small step forward, when Turkey is due to start talks on taxation, one of the 35 areas where it is negotiating EU entry terms.

    Turkish diplomats argue that their country is of strategic importance to Europe and that its eventual accession would send a positive signal to the whole Muslim world.

    So far, Turkey has opened talks on 10 out of the 35 “negotiation chapters” in the accession process, which started in October 2005.

    But eight chapters have been frozen because of Ankara’s refusal to open up its ports and airports to traffic from Cyprus, an EU member.

    Turkey says it will not do this until the EU takes steps to end the Turkish Cypriot community’s economic isolation.

    BBC