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Sarkozy's Message to Algerians: "Need to focus on the Future" |
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Wednesday, 11 July 2007
Nicholas Sarkozy, visiting former French colonies in North Africa on 10 July, has made an explanation on the subject of the expected apology for the French colonial misdeed history. Mr. Sarkozy expressed "his nation should recognize its colonial past but not apologize for it".
Fatma Yılmaz/ JTW - French President Nicolas Sarkozy fulfilled its first visit beyond Europe after the Presidential elections of May. In this sense he visited Algeria on Tuesday and lobbied to boost energy ties with France's largest trading partner Algeria. However, he said that concrete steps would have to await another trip in November. After having talked with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika he wanted leaders of his proposed Mediterranean Union to meet in 2008 to form the framework of this proposal. In such perspective, he wants to reinforce the cooperation on security and immigration among countries in the Mediterranean area.
Just due to start his one-day visit, in an interview with the Algerian Newspapers El Vatan and El Khabar, Mr. Sarkozy talked about the Algerian demand on French apology for killings during the French colonial rule. Emphasizing leaders should focus on the future, Mr. Sarkozy has also stated that "younger generations on both sides of the Mediterranean are not expecting their leaders to torture themselves in battling their guilt for the errors or mistakes of the past because on this account there would be a lot to do on both sides".
Just to remind, about 1.5 million Algerians died in the war of independence which took place between 1954 and 1962.
What about his insistence on Armenian Genocide?
Whereas President Sarkozy is emphasizing the need to focus on future rather than the aggressive past for the events which happened during Algerian independence war under the French colony, it is not possible to see the similar perspective for the subject of so-called Armenian genocide.
In his previous statements, Nicholas Sarkozy stated that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is the moral responsibility of Turkey. In one of the last statement to the Lebanese Armenian Orthodox church, he declared "I believe the recognition of the genocide by Turkey is a moral responsibility. You can be certain that I will continue to speak out and work on this issue with full commitment."
Mr. Sarkozy is objected to Turkey's EU membership prospect. This is why he proposed to found a Mediterranean Union as an alternative. Sarkozy suggested that Turkey should end up its relations with the EU on the basis of membership prospect and become a member of the Mediterranean Union mostly for which Sarkozy visited to Algeria.
Last year, French National Assembly also went through a debate on a bill that would penalize those who deny the so-called Armenian genocide.
It seems that Nicholas Sarkozy has a different point of view for the meaning of the past because he could easily categorize the past those which had to be forgotten and need to look for the future and those which are acceptable. Then, what is the obvious is the double standard about the attitude toward the French and Turkish past.
11 July 2007
Fatma Yilmaz, ISRO researcher
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Wednesday, 11 July 2007
Fatma Yilmaz
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