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Erdogan warns Sarkozy against passage of genocide bill
Tert.am
16.12.11
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sent a letter to French
President Nicolas Sarkozy, warning him against the what he called
the grave consequences of the Armenian Genocide penalization bill.
Citing Turkey's state-run Anatolia news agency, Today's Zaman
reported that Erdogan had called on Sarkozy to prevent the passage
of the bill in question. He said the approval of the bill in the
French parliament would result in grave consequences with regards to
Turkey's multifaceted relations with France in the fields of politics,
economy and culture, adding that France would be responsible for
these consequences if the bill is approved.
Noting that the approval of the bill would seriously restrict freedom
of expression of those who approach the Armenian issue from a different
perspective, Erdogan said such moves would not contribute to efforts
to settle the conflict between Turkey and Armenia on the issue through
dialogue. "On the contrary, they [such moves] pose as an obstacle
before the emergence of the truth," Erdogan said.
The French parliament was earlier reported to have scheduled a vote
on the pieces of legislation on December 22.
If approved, the bill proposed by Valeri Boyer will make the denial of
the Armenian genocide denial punishable for up to one year in prison,
imposing a fine of â~B¬45,000 on anyone who refuses to acknowledge
the historical fact.
The French National Assembly had passed similar bill in October 2006.
But it needed the Senate's approval to be enacted. In May 2011,
the Senate voted down the proposal with a vote of 74 in favor and
196 against.
Tert.am
16.12.11
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sent a letter to French
President Nicolas Sarkozy, warning him against the what he called
the grave consequences of the Armenian Genocide penalization bill.
Citing Turkey's state-run Anatolia news agency, Today's Zaman
reported that Erdogan had called on Sarkozy to prevent the passage
of the bill in question. He said the approval of the bill in the
French parliament would result in grave consequences with regards to
Turkey's multifaceted relations with France in the fields of politics,
economy and culture, adding that France would be responsible for
these consequences if the bill is approved.
Noting that the approval of the bill would seriously restrict freedom
of expression of those who approach the Armenian issue from a different
perspective, Erdogan said such moves would not contribute to efforts
to settle the conflict between Turkey and Armenia on the issue through
dialogue. "On the contrary, they [such moves] pose as an obstacle
before the emergence of the truth," Erdogan said.
The French parliament was earlier reported to have scheduled a vote
on the pieces of legislation on December 22.
If approved, the bill proposed by Valeri Boyer will make the denial of
the Armenian genocide denial punishable for up to one year in prison,
imposing a fine of â~B¬45,000 on anyone who refuses to acknowledge
the historical fact.
The French National Assembly had passed similar bill in October 2006.
But it needed the Senate's approval to be enacted. In May 2011,
the Senate voted down the proposal with a vote of 74 in favor and
196 against.