Foreign

The statement sent to APA by the embassy reads:

“The interviews of our ambassador and the statements of our embassy about the law adopted by the French National Assembly and Senate against Turkey and entire Turkic world were published in the press. The French ambassador’s interview to APA on January 25, 2012 shows that our positions, which considers defending the rights of Turkic-speaking people all over the world and reflects high-level Turkish-Azerbaijani solidarity, disturb some forces. Trying to switch attention, the French ambassador can not conceal their efforts to libel us as “genocide committers”, to campaign against Turkey, Azerbaijan and whole Turkic world and to gain poor political dividends, because the news and comments that we read in the Azerbaijani press with thanks show clearly what direction the public opinion inclines to. The most interesting article was published on January 26, 2012 by “Xalg Cebhesi” newspaper. Members of both parliament and civil society of Azerbaijan strongly criticized the French ambassador’s statement. Turkish ambassador’s behavior can be assessed only by Turkish and Azerbaijani officials and societies. Despite the law rejected by the French Senate last year and not recommended by the Commission of Laws, it was adopted by the Senate this year and it is natural that the Azerbaijani society waits for the French ambassador to explain the causes of adoption of this law this time. The demonstrations organized in Paris by tens of thousands of Turks for protecting the national honor against this discriminatory law, show that these people are anxious and concerned. It would be a logical step by the French ambassador if he makes additional statement due to the concerns of Turkic community in France. Turkic community in France is a piece of our hearts. Those who think that we insult them must know that they mix up the words of insult and love.

How the Ambassador will explain the fact that the freedom of expression of one of the two ethnic communities in his country is violated, while the freedom of expression of the other ethnic group is ensured. Can this fact comply with the notion of “equality”, one of the three slogans of France? The French Ambassador’s statement, which says that France realizes its responsibility for the massacres committed in the past, can be regarded as an attempt to wash away its sins with feeling of deep repentance. Attempts to claim that inadmissible events in the history of a nation similarly happened in the history of our nation, are enough to show how terrible the situation is. It should not be forgotten that some politicians, who act referring to the groundless claims of the third parties, want to derive benefit from it and make history. It is inadmissible that some French senators, who are not historians, vote for the denial of the event that happened a hundred year ago and was not proved, try to entrust the history to politics. Parliaments are not courts and politicians are not judges. It is known that a lot of French people, parliamentarians and senators do not approve the law that runs counter to the law, history and human nature. This discriminating law will increase uneasiness, deepen distrust, traumas of xenophobia and discrimination. We expect the Constitutional Council of France to cancel this discriminating law, prevent the French people from making a big historical mistake and throw the discriminating law into the dustbin of history. A lot of Azerbaijani officials, representatives of political parties, nongovernmental organization, intellectuals have said they do not trust in France in the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict and that France should be withdrawn from the OSCE Minsk Group. Under these circumstances we expect France, which is obviously biased, to leave the Minsk Group. Turkey will struggle against this unfair decision that ignores law, human values and public conscience. We believe that Azerbaijan will continue giving us support in our right struggle.

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