8532 - Letter to a Turk friend

N. Lygeros

If I write to you, is to tell you, my friend, that I know that you are not personally responsible for the act of genocide. This is not my purpose. It is not either to blame your people; you know me too well. I simply wanted to tell you that I understand your difficulties. This changes nothing, since your country does not want to recognize the existence of the genocide. I know well that you yourself face the risk of a ten-year imprisonment, if you dare to overtly defy the system. Yet, I have to take a position, here, in France for you, for me, for our own and for the others who cannot live anywhere else but within the justice and memory. Your country threatens me, but I do not care for their reprimanding words, you know this very well. It is a matter of honor and human decency. Some of your own will undoubtedly tell you that I am a betrayer to their eyes. But you, you know it and I know that you know it, this is what satisfies me, because it is in this way that my action will be an action in favor of the innocents. This time, it is not enough for me to state that I fight for the Human Rights; I have to struggle for me, but also for you, who cannot do it in this liberated manner. No one can influence me so not to vote this law. So, do not worry about me. I will be worthy even under threat. Know that I will be thinking of you at the moment of voting and at the moment when I rise my hand I will also be holding yours against this system which violates the Human Rights and is in turn trying to commit a genocide of memory.

Your friend
A French citizen
Senator