Thursday

28th Mar 2024

Franco-Turkish relations hit new low on genocide bill

  • Contemporary map showing Armenian-populated parts of Turkey in blue (Photo: Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen)

Turkey has imposed sanctions against France in reaction to a draft law on the Armenian genocide which could see the Turkish Prime Minister put in prison unless he claimed diplomatic immunity.

The measures comprise a freeze on bilateral meetings on foreign and defence policy; cancelling a ministerial-level meeting on the economy in January 2012; forcing French military jets to seek permission each time they enter Turkish airspace; and a ban on French naval vessels in Turkish ports. Ankara also recalled its ambassador to Paris.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a press conference on Thursday (22 December) said the measures are just the "first phase" of his response.

He called the bill "an irreparable wound" to bilateral relations and accused French leader Nicolas Sarkozy of "racism, discrimination, xenophobia." He added: "There is no such genocide in history. We are proud of our history."

French MPs earlier the same day by a show of hands voted through a bill put forward by Valerie Boyer from Sarkozy's centre-right UMP party.

The draft law - which must be approved by the Senate and signed by Sarkozy before it enters into force - says anybody guilty of making public statements which amount to a "denial or gross trivialisation" of the Armenian genocide or the Holocaust can be put in prison for one year or fined €45,000.

A spokesman for the French parliament told EUobserver that Erdogan's remarks would make him liable for the penalty if he entered France without claiming diplomatic immunity.

He added that if a historian published evidence which cast doubt on the Armenian genocide or if a public figure said they had no firm position on the subject either way, they would also be liable.

For his part, French foreign minister Alain Juppe in a written statement said he "regrets" Erdogan's decision but described Turkey as "an ally and a strategic partner", amid sympathy in the Quai d'Orsay toward Turkey's anger.

France was already unpopular in Turkey due to its public opposition to it ever joining the EU.

Meanwhile, the EU institutions in Brussels are keen to stay out of the affair.

A spokesman for enlargement commissioner Stefan Fuele said it is a "bilateral matter." A spokesman for justice commissioner Vivianne Reding noted that while Article 83 of the EU Treaty says member states should harmonise their laws on genocide-denial, an internal legal study found that "at this stage the conditions to use this possibility have not been met."

With EU countries having never agreed a common line on Armenia, the European External Action Service is also gagged from speaking out - posing the question whether its agnosticism would fall foul of the French bill.

'Let's face it ...'

Jewish human rights campaigner Raphael Lemkin coined the word genocide in 1944 with specific reference to the Armenian event in 1915.

The UN General Assembly in a resolution in 1948 defined it as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group."

There is abundant evidence that Turkey's extermination of 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children during World War I meets the criteria. Mass graves, early photos and statements by contemporary soldiers and statesmen, including by Turkish politicians, testify to a planned campaign.

On 19 October 1918 the President of the Turkish senate, Ahmed Riza told the assembly in his inaugural speech: "Let's face it, we Turks savagely killed off the Armenians."

Speaking in an interview with this website prior to the French vote, Turkey's former ambassador to the EU, Selim Kuneralp said he is against the French law because he believes in free speech, whether in the EU or in Turkey.

"History should be left to the historians ... I do not believe what happened can be described as genocide but I believe that if people feel that way they should be able to say it."

Commenting on the French vote, a leading Jewish thinker, Rabbi David Rosen said he believes the Armenian killings are genocide, but added that it "is a matter of legitimate dispute", unlike the Holocaust, with which "no respectable person disagrees."

He added: "I am against laws to condemn people for lying about history ... [But] it seems there should be laws to allow people who are offended by the way others relate to historic events that impinge on their identity and history to pursue legal action, in the same way as in situations of possible defamation."

EU leaders tell Turkey to 'respect' Cyprus

EU leaders are planning to tell Turkey to "fully respect" Cyprus when it takes over the rotating presidency next year after Turkey threatened to boycott meetings.

Free press on trial in EU aspirant Turkey

The trial of 11 journalists - including Turkey's "last investigative reporter" - begins on Tuesday in a country which says it wants to join the EU.

Opinion

The EU and Turkey: steering a safer path through the storms

The EU is currently focused on the turmoil in the Eurozone. That poses severe risks to economic growth across our countries. But these tumultuous economic and political times should not lead to the EU turning its back on its neighbourhood.

US and EU breaking taboos to restrain Israel

The US abstained and all EU states on the UN Security Council backed a call for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza, as Europe prepares to also blacklist extremist Israeli settlers.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us