Turkish activists say French ‘genocide’ bill a bad idea

France’s plan for a law making it illegal to deny the Armenian genocide has gone down badly in Turkey with even those who acknowledge the Ottoman-era atrocity saying it could inflame passions.

The French parliament Thursday votes on a bill on the massacre by forces of the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

Armenia says up to 1.5 million of its people were killed. Ankara rejects the term genocide and says between 300,000 and 500,000 Armenians, and at least as many Turks, died in combat or from starvation when Armenians rose up and sided with invading Russian forces.

France, which has a large population of Armenian descent, recognized the killings as genocide in 2001.

Hasan Cemal, the grandson of Cemal Pasha ̶ one of the three generals who led the Ottoman empire at the time ̶ has for long opposed the official Turkish version of events.

In 2008, during a historic visit by Turkish President Abdullah Gul to Armenia, Cemal made waves by placing three carnations at the mausoleum of the Ottoman victims in the capital Yerevan.

“No matter which side you take this proposal is not a good idea,” said Cemal, a columnist with the Milliyet newspaper.

He said the French proposal was not only “anti-democratic” but also will “play into the hands of people who don’t like democracy, like extremists and chauvinists.”

“This proposal is a blow for people fighting for democracy and freedom of expression in Turkey and those who seriously fight for Turkey to face up to its real past.”

The bill if passed will see anyone in France who publicly denies the genocide facing a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros ($58,000).

Etyen Mahcupyan, the former editor-in-chief of Armenian-Turkish weekly Agos, said the French proposal would impede a current review in Turkey of its Ottoman past and the Armenian massacre.

There have been conferences, exhibitions and massacre commemorations in Turkey in recent years on the thorny issue.

But if the question is debated and passed in France, “the discussions will cease and most people in Turkey will adopt a nationalist attitude,” Mahcupyan said.

Historian Ahmet Kuyas at Istanbul’s French-language Galatasaray university said the freedom of researchers was at stake.

“If to say ‘no it’s not genocide, it’s a massacre of great proportions, a crime against humanity’ is not sufficient, I ask ‘where is academic freedom’?” he said.

Academic Cengiz Aktar, who started a petition seeking Armenian forgiveness that drew about 30,000 signatures in 2009, deplored a French “move that was completely eyed towards elections ... which will spark heightened nationalism in Turkey.”

France’s large population of Armenian descent is seen as an important element of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s support base as he prepares for a tough re-election battle in April next year.

Turkey has urged France to block the bill, or face “serious and irreparable” consequences for Franco-Turkish relations.

Turkey is an important economic partner for France with about 12 billion euros in trade between the two countries in 2010.

A Turkish government source told AFP on Tuesday that it would impose diplomatic and trade sanctions on Paris if French lawmakers adopt the law.

“Turkey will not remain silent. That will obviously have consequences,” the source said. “We have already discussed our plans if the bill is adopted at the French National Assembly on Thursday.”

Among the sanctions, Turkey will recall its ambassador to Paris for consultations and ask the French ambassador in Ankara to leave, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Ankara is also planning trade sanctions targeting French interests in the country, though the government has so far avoided openly using the term of “boycott” against French products.

Close to 1,000 French companies in Turkey, as well as those in partnership with Turkish companies, will be excluded from public contracts, especially in the field of transport, according to the source.