Sharmazanov: “Turkey’s reaction showed real image”
The Turkish authorities' reaction to the French Senate's adoption of the bill criminalizing Armenian Genocide denial showed once again the real image of that country's political elite and that that country has nothing in common with European values," NA Vice-Chairman Eduard Sharmazanov told "A1+".
According to him, European values contain within them tolerance, peaceful coexistence and require nations to come to grips with the dark pages of their history.
"Even if we compare the example set by Germany 50 years ago and the example of modern-day Turkey, we see that there is nothing in common at all. The entire region of Europe is first a region of ideology, an association of people and states living with democratic values. There is no democracy without tolerance and without the will to come to grips with history," Sharmazanov mentioned.
Addressing the arguments of those against the bill, according to whom the adoption will further increase the Turkish society's intolerance and can give way to extreme measures in the Turkish communities of Europe, Sharmazanov mentioned:
"By adopting this bill, the French government knows very well the steps that Turkey can take and what kind of blackmail that that country may use. However, the policy of blackmail is doomed since history has shown that you can't go against the truth. The truth is that genocide did take place, and France, as a country that has humanist values, accepts that the denial of genocides is as dangerous as perpetration of genocide."
In his speech at the Mili Mejlis today, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan stressed that the Senate's law "doesn't exist for Turkey". "This is discrimination, racism and an attack against freedom of speech," Erdogan said.
