FRANCE’S BILL
BY OZDEMIR INCE (HURRIYET)
An
international symposium marking the 125th
anniversary of the birth of Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk, founder of the Republic of Turkey,
began yesterday in Ankara. Present at the
gathering were President Ahmet Necdet Sezer,
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief
Justices Tulay Tugcu, Osman Arslan, and Sumru
Cortoglu from the Constitutional Court, the
Court of Audits and the High Court of Appeals
respectively, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi
Ozkok and other high-level commanders, as well
as foreign mission representatives in Ankara.
Addressing the gathering, Sezer said that
Turkish people should do their utmost to
preserve Ataturk’s modern, enlightened, secular
and democratic republic and follow his
principles. Also speaking at the meeting,
Erdogan stated that the principle of secularism
was a basic and unifying factor of our republic,
calling on the public to avoid contentious
debate over the matter. Listing “republic,”
“national sovereignty,” national state,” and
“secularism” as the main concepts of Ataturk’s
thought and the Republic of Turkey, Erdogan said
that it was everybody’s duty to maintain and
develop those preferences. /Milliyet/
The Cabinet, chaired by Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, convened
yesterday. The meeting mainly focused on last
month’s high inflation figures and President
Ahmet Necdet Sezer’s veto last week of certain
articles of the social security reform bill. In
addition, recent tensions in markets were taken
up, and State Minister for the Economy Ali
Babacan, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener
and Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan gave
briefings about the developments. Erdogan also
told the ministers about his recent visit to
Indonesia. Moreover, the recent situation of
Turkey’s screening process with the European
Union was reviewed. Afterwards, speaking to
reporters, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said
that there was no need to panic over the recent
economic developments. /Turkiye/
A protest was launched
yesterday against an Armenian bill to be debated
on Thursday by the French Parliament. The
committee set up by the Labor Party (IP) against
the so-called Armenian genocide claims will hold
demonstrations for three days in front of the
French Embassy in Ankara and the Consulate
General in Izmir under the title “The
Turkish-French Friendship Vigil.” A group called
the Armenian Genocide Lie with Armenian
Documents Grand Project 2006 Counseling Board
started the same action at Place de la Concorde
in Paris. Meanwhile, France’s Ambassador to
Ankara Paul Poudade yesterday said that the
French government was opposed to the Armenian
bill set for debate at the Parliament on
Thursday. /Star/
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
President Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday said that
the Cyprus issue had entered a one-way street
with the Greek Cypriots becoming a European
Union member in 2004 as the “Republic of
Cyprus.” “What has to be done now is to bring up
the question: Is this Republic of Cyprus genuine
or an abnormal result of the conditions emerging
after 1963 or 1974?” Speaking to reporters,
Talat said that the problem couldn’t be solved
without the initiative of the international
community, adding, “All EU member countries
believe that the Greek Cypriots’ policy isn’t
looking for a solution. Both those who support a
solution and those who don’t are in agreement on
this.” Talat also said that Greek Cypriot leader
Tassos Papadopoulos was planning to press Turkey
on its way to the EU and thus, make Turkey
abandon Cyprus for its greater interest.
/Hurriyet/
Security Director General Gohkan Aydiner
yesterday met with his Iranian counterpart
Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam at the Organization of
the Islamic Conference’s (OIC) First Meeting of
Security Directors General of Islamic Countries.
Aydiner asked Iran to continue its operations
against the terrorist PKK and signaled that
Ankara is ready for any kind of cooperation
against the militant group. Security units of
the two countries reached a consensus about
cooperating on every issue against the terrorist
organization, including joint operations.
Aydiner is also expected to ask Iraqi
authorities to block political and ideological
support for the terrorist PKK and for its
leaders to be apprehended. /Hurriyet/
At a
ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of Koc
Holding yesterday, Central Bank Governor Durmus
Yilmaz commented on recent fluctuations in
foreign exchange, saying that these were
temporary. He stressed that if these
fluctuations persist, then the CB could
intervene. Yilmaz stated that the CB was closely
following developments, adding that such
fluctuations had also been seen in the past.
Stressing that monetary and fiscal policies
should continue to be carried out without
deviation, Yilmaz added that there was no
thought of changing the inflation target in the
medium term. In related news, Turkish
Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association
(TUSIAD) Executive Board Chairman Omer Sabanci
said that current account deficit, which was
6.4% last year, could be considered a risk
factor. Sabanci Holding Executive Board Chairman
Guler Sabanci said that the Turkish economy was
on a good path, saying that there was no risk.
/Sabah/
Speaking yesterday after his
meeting with an International Monetary Fund
delegation chaired by IMF Turkey Desk Chief
Lorenzo Giorgianni, Deputy Prime Minister
Abdullatif Sener said that there was no need to
worry about current account deficit, adding that
a $22 billion deficit was expected for this year
and that there was no need to revise this
figure. Sener said that during the meeting with
the IMF delegation, they had discussed the
banking sector and mortgage system and that the
delegation had expressed pleasure about
developments in the sector. Asked about the
social security reform bill vetoed by President
Ahmet Necdet Sezer, he said it would again be
passed by Parliament, adding that legislative
authority belongs to Parliament. Commenting on
recent fluctuations in foreign exchanges, Sener
said that these fluctuations were within
acceptable limits. He added that economic
balances were set and that market mechanisms had
gotten stronger in Turkey. /Aksam/
State Minister for the Economy
Ali Babacan is due today to meet with executive
board members of the Banking Association (BB) in
Istanbul. During the meeting, developments in
the banking sector and European Union
harmonization efforts in the sector will be
discussed. Recent fluctuations in foreign
exchange are also expected to be addressed at
the meeting. /Milliyet/
Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities
Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu
yesterday met with Hansjoerg Kretschmer, the
head of the European Commission delegation to
Turkey. During their meeting, Kretschmer said
that if Turkey successfully completes its
European Union membership reforms, this would
have a positive effect on business in Turkey.
Saying that the business world was very
important in EU talks with candidate countries,
Kretschmer stressed that the screening process
was going well. For his part, Hisarciklioglu
stated that the first condition to protect
territorial integrity was to have a sound
economy. “In order to have a sound economy,
first we should overcome poverty,” added
Hisarciklioglu. /Turkiye/
As part of the 25th
Turkish-American Culture Festival, organized by
the Assembly of Turkish-American Associations
(ATAA), a Turkish Festival was held this week in
Paterson, New Jersey. Addressing the gathering,
representatives from the Turkish Consulate in
New York and the ATAA stated that they are
working to promote Turkish culture in the US.
/Turkiye/
Columnist Ozdemir Ince comments on the so-called
Armenian genocide. A summary of his column is as
follows:
“Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper labeled
the Armenian Events of 1915 a ‘genocide’. Some
deputies in France are preparing a bill to
criminalize denial of the so-called Armenian
genocide. I’m certainly angry about France and
the US, both of whom are using the ‘genocide’ as
a political tool and can’t get rid of the fixed
idea of genocide. But there are also people in
these two countries working against this shell
game.
If
this bill is passed, then France will contradict
its history of freedom and make things worse
while trying to erase the opprobrium of
colonialism. My wise French friends are saying
that comparing the Jewish Holocaust with the
Armenian genocide is absolute nonsense. But they
aren’t the majority among French intellectuals.
Moreover they grow more intense when this issue
is debated. The ‘genocide’ is so deep in their
subconscious that many of them can’t get rid of
it.
A
total of 400,000 Armenian people are integrated
into France, and all of them are French
citizens. France is certain about Armenians
being French. This is very important. Armenian
society is very influential in every field of
daily life and every profession. It has a strong
middle class.
So
it’s natural that a French person supports a
French Armenian. Also it’s almost impossible to
publish an article espousing the opposite view
in top newspapers like Le Monde, Liberation and
Le Nouvel Observateur. Le Monde published the
views of Orhan Pamuk, Murat Belge, Halil Berktay
and Baskin Oran, but wouldn’t publish my article
even in the readers section. I wrote about the
tricky maneuvers of the French and Armenians in
Cukurova between 1919 and 1921. This is one of
France’s most shameful eras, but nobody wants to
learn about it and they even aren’t interested.
Like
Elisabeth Badinter, there are historians who
say: ‘Turkish and Armenian historians should
study if there was a genocide in Turkey or
another place. But it’s not the business of the
French Parliament to deliver an opinion on this
issue. Moreover, legal determination of
discussion about a historical event and making
it criminal is unacceptable.’ But I don’t know
if this will be enough to convince even her
husband Robert Badinter, an influential
politician, jurist and writer.
Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called
representatives of French firms and warned them
to support Turkey’s stance. I don’t think that
this will work. Then France will play its
European Union card. As a matter of fact, their
ambassador spoke about this a few days ago.
Turkey has to find another method, but it is
difficult with this government.”
