Ankara (AsiaNews) Reactions in the Turkish press to the French parliamentary vote making it a crime to deny that Armenians suffered genocide are perhaps stronger than expected. The Turkish government, despite the popular reaction, responded yesterday with more a moderate tone, excluding official retaliation.
"Thought Genocide" titled popular daily Hurryet in a clear reference to the new law's denial of free speech. The paper also gave wide coverage to political reactions, starting with that of Bulent Arinc, the speaker of the Turkish parliament, who said that it "is a decision which will cause great embarrassment. It is a stance against the Turkish people, and we cannot accept this."
"106 stupid men" titled another paper, Vatan, referring to the number of French MPs who voted in favour of the bill. For Milliyet "the Turkish press is mad at France, whilst Sabah lobbed a meaningful "J'accuse" saying that the "French parliament, acting as judge and jury, took a decision that hurts all Turks". Finally, Cumhuriyet reiterated a call to "Boycott" made by Dervis Gunday, chairman of the Turkish Traders and Small Businessmen's Confederation (TESK), French products.
In the heat of the situation, Turkish Economy Minister Ali Babacan also hinted at a possible anti-French boycott saying that "it depends on the people". But the Turkish government's official position was expressed yesterday by the foreign ministry in Ankara. In a press release it said: "The long-standing historical relations between Turkey and France, which have grown through the centuries with great care, have received a severe blow today because of the irresponsible attemptsbased on groundless claimsof a group of French politicians who are unable to appreciate the consequences of the policies they follow."
If the government is concerned about possible repercussions of the French decision on Turkey's application to join the European Union, the nationalist response in the country to the French bill might also cause problems to those Turkish intellectuals like Nobel Prize laureate for literature Orhan Pamuk who have tried to push their countrymen to face head on the Armenian extermination issue and were taken to court for it.