Exam for allies

Hopes the Senate of France would boost ambitions for a common sense were ruined. After a long discussion the senators voted (127 pro and 86 con) for the criminalization of the denial of the Armenian genocide.

Thus, the scandalous bill will influence negatively Turkish-French relations. Paris understands it very well, especially the foreign minister of France Alain Juppe, who initially stood against the bill. Right after adoption of the law by the Senate Juppe tried to reduce tension in Turkish-French relations by a peaceful speech: “France needs Turkey, and it needs us. Many French companies are working in Turkey, and we have strong economic ties. I hope they won’t be hurt.” Then, he urged Turkey to take it easy: “Our Turkish friends should keep a cool head. I offer my hand to this great country, and I hope my hand won’t be left in the air. I believe emotions will calm down and our relations will return to the normal level.”

The French minister is right that two countries need each other, and nobody wants their economic ties suffer in the context of the European crisis. However, it seems French politicians were eager to make another a curtsy to the Armenian lobby ahead of elections, but not to maintain economic and other ties with Turkey. It concerns the deputies of both chambers of the parliament and President Nikola Sarkozi.

At the same time, the Senate’s decision directly or indirectly touched on Azerbaijani-Turkish relations. Ankara and Baku traditionally have the same position toward the Armenians’ genocide. However, ahead of adoption of the law some Turkish mass media agencies criticized Azerbaijan for “not sufficient support of Ankara by Baku” in the issue of adoption the bill on criminalization of denying the genocide by the National Assembly of France.

The presidential administration of Azerbaijan had to react at these publications: “Everybody knows that right after adoption of the bill by the lower chamber of the French parliament Azerbaijan expressed its negative position on the issue. The administration of President, the government, the Foreign Ministry, the parliament and society expressed their position on the issue, and the authorities of Turkey know it quite well. The journalists, who criticize us, should show us even one more country, which expressed such a firm position on this issue. There is no other country. Publications and articles in some Turkish periodicals do not reflect the reality. Moreover, it seems the articles were published for putting at odds two brotherly states,” the head of the foreign affairs department in the presidential administration of Azerbaijan, Novruz Mamedov, said.

Another statement by Mamedov is interesting as well: “It is strange that the periodical doesn’t mention that Turkey and France are NATO allies, they have multimillion turnover, at the same time, it demands Azerbaijan to clash with France. There is no other example in the world of such close relations between two states like relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey. And it seems some forces concern with it. Our positions coincide in majority of issues, but in some affairs we have different approaches. That is why we should treat all affairs carefully.”

So the idea of Mamedov’s statement is clear: Baku won’t take any practical steps for worsening relations with Paris until Ankara itself take any real steps in this sphere. At the moment, Baku will only criticize Paris.

It should be said that official Baku reacted immediately at adoption of the Armenian bill by the French Senate. The next day the administration of President through Elmur Aslanov commented on the issue at 1mews.az: “Millions of dollars invested by sponsors of the Zurich process on normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, hundreds of meetings and press-conferences are wasted. Will criminalization of denying the genocide lead to normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia? Doubtful. France made Armenia be a poor and disintegrated entity in the region. At the same time, the French senators should rather recognize the genocide of peaceful population in Khodzhaly, which took place less than 20 years ago, when Armenian vandals murdered more than 600 people. Azerbaijan has always supported and will support Turkey, we condemn the Senate for adoption the bill. Such decisions are not easy to forget.”

The foreign ministry of Azerbaijan heavily criticized adoption of the bill on criminalization of denying the genocide by the Senate of France. It statement says that the Senate’s decision contradicts democracy, human rights, freedom of speech and might damage participation of the country in some regional processes.

While statements by the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan and the presidential administration do not touch on practical steps by Baku, the speech by the deputy chairman of the ruling party New Azerbaijan, Ali Akhmedov, was much more remarkable. “By adoption of the law on criminalization of denying the genocide of Armenians France has lost its moral right for mediation in settlement of the Karabakh conflict,” Akhmedov told APA. He reminded that France should take a neutral position as a co-chair of the Minsk Group.

In other words Baku demonstrated that it is ready to support Ankara to the bitter end in the issue of Armenians’ genocide. Another question is: how far will Turkey go in confrontation with France. First reaction by Erdogan shows that Ankara hasn’t decided what steps it should take. “Adoption of the bill on criminalization of denying the genocide by the French Senate doesn’t mean anything to Turkey,” Turkish Premier said.

Orkhan Sattarov. Exclusively to VK.