DISAPPROVAL DECLARATION

We, the guardians of the frontiers of Turkish culture - the freelance translators, the private translation companies and the translators’ associations-, upon the resolution of an extraordinary joint session held on 30th November, 2006, hereby disapprove and protest the law passed by the French Parliament on 12th October, 2006 in which any free speech depicting the denial of the "so-called" Armenian genocide is considered to be an offense.

This decree has been a grave and an historical mistake. We have regrettably seen that the French Parliament has been inadequate in representing the French People whom we considered to be our loyal friends as well as the French culture which we admired very much, and the French language which we used to respect religiously.

Turks have never committed or been involved in any crimes of genocide of any nature against any nation or race or culture. The attributions are nothing but lies and slander and the French Parliament is thus misleading the French People. We are inviting the French People to visit us and spend as much time in the Turkish Ottoman archives as they wish, to see the clear evidence. Turks are glorious and highly esteemed race who have been instrumental in saving other people and nations from the horrible effects of genocide. The truth is well recorded in history.

This false decision of the French Parliament which is being followed blindly has reached the level of a cultural genocide against the Turkish nation. We call upon those responsible in the French authorities to reconsider and not to commit this grave crime of humanity. If you insist on continuing with this it should be kept in mind that we reserve our right to take further precautions within the key missions we undertake in the multidimensional Turco-Franco relations.

As the primary contact between cultures, we regard it our duty to respectfully inform French People and the world.

THE TURKISH LANGUAGE TRANSLATORS

(a note from history)