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U.S. criticizes French law that would ban denial of Armenian genocide
By STEVEN ROSS JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
Associated Press Worldstream
October 20, 2006 Friday
A senior US official on Friday denounced a French law that would
make it a crime to deny that mass killings of Armenians in Turkey
during World War I was genocide, saying that it would get in the way
of establishing a Turkish-Armenian dialogue.
Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried said the French law does
not help EU-Turkey relations, and urged the need for more discussion
between Turks and Armenians.
"The job of outsiders is to encourage Turkish-Armenian dialogue,
not to take positions which make that dialogue harder," said Fried,
who was in Brussels to discuss current tensions in the Caucuses with
officials from NATO, the European Union and the Belgian government.
"This legislation criminalizing discussion doesn't seem to make any
sense," Fried said. "We have certainly encouraged Armenians and Turks
to look at this issue honestly and painfully. Every nation that I know
of, including my own, has things in its past of which it is not proud."
The genocide denial bill was approved by lawmakers in France's lower
house last week, but still needs approval from the French Senate and
President Jacques Chirac to become law.
Fried added that the U.S. had dealt with such events in its own
history in a "honest way", and encouraged Turkey to do the same.
"It doesn't strike me as clear that resolutions like that in the
French parliament is going to encourage this process," he said.
Tensions between France and Turkey have escalated since last week's
vote in favor of criminalizing Armenian genocide denial, sparking
a boycott of French goods, and a proposed blackout of French media
from Turkish television stations.
Turkey continues to deny allegations that Ottoman Turks were
responsible for the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians during World War
One, contending that many died as a result of fighting during the
fall of the Ottoman Empire.
The EU has taken the U.S. position in the matter, saying the French
move discourages dialogue and hinders possible Turkish accession into
the 25-member nation bloc.
Fried's visit comes one day after a stop in Tblisi to meet with
Georgian officials and opposition party leaders. He is scheduled to
travel to Russia to speak with leaders there as a prelude to November's
NATO summit in Riga, Latvia.
By STEVEN ROSS JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
Associated Press Worldstream
October 20, 2006 Friday
A senior US official on Friday denounced a French law that would
make it a crime to deny that mass killings of Armenians in Turkey
during World War I was genocide, saying that it would get in the way
of establishing a Turkish-Armenian dialogue.
Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried said the French law does
not help EU-Turkey relations, and urged the need for more discussion
between Turks and Armenians.
"The job of outsiders is to encourage Turkish-Armenian dialogue,
not to take positions which make that dialogue harder," said Fried,
who was in Brussels to discuss current tensions in the Caucuses with
officials from NATO, the European Union and the Belgian government.
"This legislation criminalizing discussion doesn't seem to make any
sense," Fried said. "We have certainly encouraged Armenians and Turks
to look at this issue honestly and painfully. Every nation that I know
of, including my own, has things in its past of which it is not proud."
The genocide denial bill was approved by lawmakers in France's lower
house last week, but still needs approval from the French Senate and
President Jacques Chirac to become law.
Fried added that the U.S. had dealt with such events in its own
history in a "honest way", and encouraged Turkey to do the same.
"It doesn't strike me as clear that resolutions like that in the
French parliament is going to encourage this process," he said.
Tensions between France and Turkey have escalated since last week's
vote in favor of criminalizing Armenian genocide denial, sparking
a boycott of French goods, and a proposed blackout of French media
from Turkish television stations.
Turkey continues to deny allegations that Ottoman Turks were
responsible for the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians during World War
One, contending that many died as a result of fighting during the
fall of the Ottoman Empire.
The EU has taken the U.S. position in the matter, saying the French
move discourages dialogue and hinders possible Turkish accession into
the 25-member nation bloc.
Fried's visit comes one day after a stop in Tblisi to meet with
Georgian officials and opposition party leaders. He is scheduled to
travel to Russia to speak with leaders there as a prelude to November's
NATO summit in Riga, Latvia.