Country Watch
Armenian genocide that occurred in 1915. While many widely believe that 1.5 million Armenians were systematically killed by Ottoman Turkish troops during the waning days of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey maintains that no more than 500,000 Armenians died and that most of those deaths did not result not from targeted killings. Most present-day Turks consider classifying the Armenian deaths as genocide to be a direct at- tack against their nation and its identity. Though the bill did not specifically reference the atrocities, French law officially recognizes only the Armenian killings and the Holocaust as “genocide.”
Approval of the bill sparked angry protests in both Paris and Ankara and seriously strained re- lations between France and Turkey. The Turkish government fiercely opposed the bill, arguing that classification of the events occurring in the early part of the 20th century should be made by historians, not by law. Some officials in the Turk- ish government, including current Prime Minis- ter Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who called the move “mere electioneering,” accused Sarkozy of sup- porting the measure in order to court votes from France’s 500,000-strong Armenian community. In reaction to approval of the law, Turkey suspended its economic, political, and military contacts with France.
In addition to straining bilateral relations, France’s bill has also raised tensions on the international stage. The strain comes at a particularly crucial moment, when many nations are hoping to main- tain Turkish cooperation on pressing matters, par- ticularly the crackdown in Syria and Iran’s nuclear program. Turkey plays an influential role in these situations due to its geographic proximity and cul- tural ties to both Syria and Iran.
The controversy surrounding the recognition of the Armenian genocide is not new. Armenian advocacy groups frequently urge governments to officially recognize the genocide. Nineteen nations, including France, have granted that rec-
ognition, as has the European Union. The United Kingdom, United States, and Israel, among oth- ers, use different terminology to describe those same events.
Turkish officials welcomed the French court’s rul- ing, and Turkey is now considering whether to un- freeze its relations with France. It remains unclear how Turkey would react should the legislature submit a revised draft of the genocide denial bill, as ordered by President Sarkozy.
*Submitted by Kristen Klump
Congress of the Philippines Impeaches the Chief Justice of Philippines Supreme Court
In December 2011, the Philippine Congress voted to impeach the Chief Justice of the Philippine Su- preme Court, Renato Corona. The impeachment proceeding, which required at least 95 signatures from members of Congress, garnered 188 signa- tures of the 284 members of Congress. This ac- tion is part of an anti-corruption campaign which has been spearheaded by President Benigno Aqui- no. President Aquino urged his cabinet members to “stamp out” corruption in their various agen- cies and stated the mantra of his anti-corruption campaign slogan, “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap [If no one is corrupt, no one is poor].”
The Chief Justice became a target for this cam- paign for failing to disclose his personal finances and several allegations of partiality. The most seri- ous of the eight charges against the Chief Jus- tice involve allegations that he granted former President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a temporary restraining order on the travel restriction placed on Arroyo during her trial for corruption, so that she might have a chance to escape. It was also alleged that Corona attempted to obstruct the prosecution of Arroyo. This incident was seen as an act “in favor” of former president Arroyo and initiated the claims of partiality. Although February 2012 news reports from the trial report that the
ILSA Quarterly » volume 20 » issue 4 » May 2012
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