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rfmcdonaldFrom the Fédération Euro-Arménienne:
If this is accurately reported, then I have to congratulate Barroso and the European Commission. As I've said in the past, Turkey's paranoia is explicable in the context of the close call of the Turkish nation. The sort of crazy paranoiac defensiveness, the sort of willful denial of reality that we recognize from Holocaust deniers, is repugnant and unacceptable for a European Union aspirant. This isn't only because it is one facet of an aggressive nationalism of the sort only somewhat parodied in the final comments of this post at A Fistful of Euros. Rather, this is because this sort of xenophobic self-justificatory ultranationalism is fundamentally incompatible with liberal democracy. Turkey has to choose: Will it keep these attitudes or will it keep its European Union aspirations?
“We should bear in mind that Turkey is an important state and has big potential from the viewpoint of the social and economic future of Europe,” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso stated when delivering a speech at Harvard University. “However the problem of Kurds and national minorities still remains a very delicate matter for Turkey. National minorities in that state constantly face infringement of human rights,” he noted. When touching upon the Armenia-Turkey relations Jose Manuel Barroso said that Ankara is developing relations with Greece and should set the same line towards Armenia. “Turks should acknowledge the reality of the Armenian Genocide. Orhan Pamuk’s case is an inadmissible step from the standpoint of freedom of speech. Turkey should refrain from simplified attitude towards the Armenian issue. Europeans dislike the words “there was no Genocide”. Ankara’s best move would be the acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide and opening the borders with Armenia,” European Commission President stated.
If this is accurately reported, then I have to congratulate Barroso and the European Commission. As I've said in the past, Turkey's paranoia is explicable in the context of the close call of the Turkish nation. The sort of crazy paranoiac defensiveness, the sort of willful denial of reality that we recognize from Holocaust deniers, is repugnant and unacceptable for a European Union aspirant. This isn't only because it is one facet of an aggressive nationalism of the sort only somewhat parodied in the final comments of this post at A Fistful of Euros. Rather, this is because this sort of xenophobic self-justificatory ultranationalism is fundamentally incompatible with liberal democracy. Turkey has to choose: Will it keep these attitudes or will it keep its European Union aspirations?
