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CHIRAC, IN YEREVAN, URGES TURKEY TO RECOGNISE ARMENIAN 'GENOCIDE'
Agence France Presse -- English
September 30, 2006 Saturday
French President Jacques Chirac said Saturday that Turkey should
recognize the massacre of Armenians during World War I as genocide
before its possible accession to the European Union.
Asked at a press conference if Turkey should recognize the 1915-1917
massacres at the hands of Ottoman Turks as genocide to enter the EU,
he replied: "honestly, I believe so."
"All countries grow up acknowledging their dramas and their errors,"
said Chirac, who is on a two-day visit to Armenia.
Until now, France had refused to make a direct link between the
genocide issue and Turkey's EU membership bid. The bloc of 25 nations
has not made it a condition.
Armenia, whose border Turkey has sealed in relation to a territorial
dispute with its Turkic ally Azerbaijan, responded to the same question
much more softly.
"We don't see any danger in this process," Armenian President Robert
Kocharian said of Turkey's EU aspirations, "but we would like that
our interests would be discussed in the process too," he added.
Kocharian said it would be in Armenia's interests to have a neighbor
"with a value system that allows for free movement and open borders."
Armenia's economy has suffered because of border closures with Turkey
and Azerbaijan, that latter of which it is still technically at war
with over the ethnic-Armenian Nagorny Karabakh enclave.
Turkey began negotiations on accession to the EU in 10 to 15 years
in 2005.
Massacres and deportations of Armenians under the Ottoman Turk regime
during World War I caused the death of more than 1.5 million people,
according to Armenian sources, and between 250,000 and half a million
according to Turkey.
Turkey categorically rejects the use of the word genocide, which is
officially recognised by France, Canada and a few other countries as
well as the European Parliament.
Ankara argues that 300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died
in an internal conflict sparked by attempts by Armenians to win
independence for eastern Anatolia and secure assistance for their
bid from Russia -- Turkey's age-old nemesis.
France, which has 400,000 citizens of Armenian descent, officially
recognized the events as genocide in 2001, putting a strain on its
relations with fellow NATO member Turkey.
Agence France Presse -- English
September 30, 2006 Saturday
French President Jacques Chirac said Saturday that Turkey should
recognize the massacre of Armenians during World War I as genocide
before its possible accession to the European Union.
Asked at a press conference if Turkey should recognize the 1915-1917
massacres at the hands of Ottoman Turks as genocide to enter the EU,
he replied: "honestly, I believe so."
"All countries grow up acknowledging their dramas and their errors,"
said Chirac, who is on a two-day visit to Armenia.
Until now, France had refused to make a direct link between the
genocide issue and Turkey's EU membership bid. The bloc of 25 nations
has not made it a condition.
Armenia, whose border Turkey has sealed in relation to a territorial
dispute with its Turkic ally Azerbaijan, responded to the same question
much more softly.
"We don't see any danger in this process," Armenian President Robert
Kocharian said of Turkey's EU aspirations, "but we would like that
our interests would be discussed in the process too," he added.
Kocharian said it would be in Armenia's interests to have a neighbor
"with a value system that allows for free movement and open borders."
Armenia's economy has suffered because of border closures with Turkey
and Azerbaijan, that latter of which it is still technically at war
with over the ethnic-Armenian Nagorny Karabakh enclave.
Turkey began negotiations on accession to the EU in 10 to 15 years
in 2005.
Massacres and deportations of Armenians under the Ottoman Turk regime
during World War I caused the death of more than 1.5 million people,
according to Armenian sources, and between 250,000 and half a million
according to Turkey.
Turkey categorically rejects the use of the word genocide, which is
officially recognised by France, Canada and a few other countries as
well as the European Parliament.
Ankara argues that 300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died
in an internal conflict sparked by attempts by Armenians to win
independence for eastern Anatolia and secure assistance for their
bid from Russia -- Turkey's age-old nemesis.
France, which has 400,000 citizens of Armenian descent, officially
recognized the events as genocide in 2001, putting a strain on its
relations with fellow NATO member Turkey.