Main focus of Thursday, October 12, 2006

History weighs upon Euro-turkish dialogue

Two central issues in the debate about Turkey's EU membership are religion and confronting the past. The French members of parliament thus adopted, on October 12th, a bill penalising the negation of the Armenian genocide perpetrated in Turkey. The Turkish government is radically opposed to this initiative. Should Turkey recognize this genocide in the hope of becoming part of the EU?

L'Express - France

Christopher Barbier sees the proposed french bill as a "new, pitiful avatar of this 'memorial law' fad. ... Members of parliament should maintain the right to speak about History, but to talk about politics, or geo-politics, not about science, not even human science". EU candidacy is "leading Turkey towards reforms, both modern and democratic. Everything and anything is allowed to help it hasten its pace, even the use of morality; but to want it to run, at the risk of seeing it trip up. Yet the proposition of a law in France that would penalize the negation of the Armenian genocide is overstepping the simple use of memory in realpoltiks. Muzzling freedom of expression, it is a provocation towards Turkey that has already cost more than it is worth." (12/10/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » History, » Turkey
All available articles from » Christophe Barbier

Der Tagesspiegel - Germany

Alfred Grosser writes that Jacques Chirac is right to demand that Turkey admit its responsibility for the genocide of Armenians in 1915/16 before being allowed to join the EU. "Germany is a good example in this respect. The sins of the past do not in any way imply guilt in the present. On the contrary, one can purge the present of guilt by admitting to atrocities that were committed a long time ago by another government… Taking a critical view of the past boosts a society's morals. Turkey is not the only country to reject this premise, but it is the only large country that is seeking EU membership. The EU, for its part, should recognise that it is based just as much on moral values as it is on economic advantages." (12/10/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » History, » Turkey
All available articles from » Alfred Grosser

Libération - France

"The EU-Commission is concerned by the indispensable quality of the dialogue that needs to be established between the different populations called upon to share this unique adventure that is the construction of Europe", stresses Oli Rehn, European commissioner for Enlargement. "Between Turkey and the EU, to put it clearly, this dialogue is threatened today. The mutual lack of understanding is already hard to overcome. Added to this now is the bill being voted on by the French parliament, aiming to penalize the Armenian genocide. ... While the dialogue absolutely must be developed, within Turkey itself, between Turkey and Armenia, between Turkey and the Armenian community at large, to finally heal the scars of history and reach reconciliation, this law will only oppose one official truth and another. It will harden the positions of both parties and give a pretext to all the guardians of immaculate history". (12/10/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » History, » Turkey
All available articles from » Olli Rehn

El País - Spain

Ali Babacan, the Turkish minister of economy and chief negotiator in EU accession discussions, insists in an interview with Maite Rico on the determining role that his country can play. "The fact that Turkey, a country with a Muslim population, is also capable of sharing values held by Europe can have a positive influence on the whole region. If a country like Turkey is part of the EU, the Muslim world's global perception of the EU will change. We are not claiming to be an exemplary model for anyone, but what is happening in Turkey can be a source of inspiration. Turkey is bridge between religions and cultures in Europe. Indeed, Erdogan [Turkish Prime Minister] played the role of mediator to calm down the situation after the caricature crisis." (12/10/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » Religion, » History, » Weltanschauung, » Turkey

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