Posted on 10/08/2011 11:58:09 PM PDT by Cincinna
French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged Turkey to recognize the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as a genocide in remarks Friday that drew sharp criticism from Ankara.
“Turkey, which is a great country, would honor itself by revisiting its history like other countries in the world have done,” Sarkozy said during his visit to the Armenian capital, Yerevan.
The killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians under the Ottoman Empire has been the main barrier to the ex-Soviet republic’s reconciliation with Turkey. Armenians have long fought to persuade other governments to call the killings a genocide.
Turkish leaders have rejected the term, contending the figures are inflated and saying there were many deaths on both sides as the Ottoman Empire collapsed during World War I.
Sarkozy also hinted that Turkey’s refusal to recognize the genocide would force France to change its law and make such denials a criminal offense.
“If Turkey does not do this, then doubtless we will have to go further,” he said without elaborating.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu described Sarkozy’s comments as “political opportunism” aimed at gaining votes from French-Armenians at elections.
“Unfortunately whenever there are elections in Europe, this type of opportunism arises,” Davutoglu said.
He also said France had no right to criticize Turkey because of the country’s colonial past.
The French parliament officially recognized the killings as a genocide in 2001, one of several moves that strained ties between Paris and Ankara. Turkey, however, remains one of France’s major trading partners outside the European Union.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
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The massacre of the Armenian people, mainly Christians, by the Muslim Turks was on a level of genocide.
Many Armenian Christians were driven into exile in France, as well as the US.
This is an important step that Sarko is taking: for recognition of TGE Armenuan genocide by the Turks. Now that Turkey has gone from a more Western secular state morphing into an Islamist state governed by Shariah law, I’m not too optimistic.
It is important, none the less, that the rest of TGE world acknowledges the fact.
The massacre of the Armenian people, mainly Christians, by the Muslim Turks was on a level of genocide.
Many Armenian Christians were driven into exile in France, as well as the US.
This is an important step that Sarko is taking: for recognition of TGE Armenuan genocide by the Turks. Now that Turkey has gone from a more Western secular state morphing into an Islamist state governed by Shariah law, I’m not too optimistic.
It is important, none the less, that the rest of TGE world acknowledges the fact.
Chapeau! to Sunken Civ for the article.
The massacre of the Armenian people, mainly Christians, by the Muslim Turks was on a level of genocide.
Many Armenian Christians were driven into exile in France, as well as the US.
This is an important step that Sarko is taking: for recognition of TGE Armenuan genocide by the Turks. Now that Turkey has gone from a more Western secular state morphing into an Islamist state governed by Shariah law, I’m not too optimistic.
It is important, none the less, that the rest of TGE world acknowledges the fact.
"Luckily' when I was in Elementary School we used a Map of Europe like THIS to learn Geography, Europe in 1919 (yes, I'm series.) It shows long gone countries like Armenia, Ukrainia, and even "White Russia" (who, what, where?), and 'Kurdistan'.
Today not one college kid could find those places on a Map, or not even close to where they once were.
Back when I was a Sophomore in HS, a girl neighbor tried fixing me up with a Blind Date for her school's Annual Cotillion -- This date girl was Armenian. Cute but not my type. I wound up being picked-up by this HOT Blond (yes, I was easy) who had a habit of losing her bra at the oddest times ;-) Alas, that relationship didn't last long. (lol)
Turkey must recognize her passed sins. Read what happened and it sickens. When Hitler’s generals questioned his idea of a Holocaust or “Final Solution”—the dictator said “What about the Armenians? What did the world do then?” The killings didn’t stop til 1920. IF the world would have re-acted then—maybe there wouldn’t have been a Holocaust in Europe in the 1940s? No nation is is free of stain—recognize the past and put it to rest.
Problem with many “tied-in” islamic countries is their perception of fighting what they deem as evil. Any apology from an islamic country is a sign of weakness. However, I fully agree with your view!!
As things stand today in Turkey, Sarkozy will be waiting a long time for admission of the genocide. It’s unlikely any of us alive today will be around for such an admission.
My pleasure.
I had a world map at home at that time from Nat Geo that also showed countries called 'Inner Mongolia', 'Outer Mongolia' and Tibet. I loved 'studying' that part of the world. Also of the Amazon River - mostly blank territory.
For some reason we didn't get into ME Geography or of Africa either. Mainly euro-centric as I recall.
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