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FRANCE-TURKEY:PARIS AND ANKARA AT LOGGERHEADS OVER ARMENIANS
ANSAmed
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/politics/2011/12/20/visualizza_new.html_16524698.html
Dec 20 2011
Italy
Parliament confirms discussion on Thurs. Gul, 'unacceptable'
(ANSAmed) - PARIS - Tensions between France and Turkey skyrocketed
after a decision was made by the French National Assembly not
to withdraw a bill that criminalising the denial of the Armenian
genocide between 1915 and 1917, despite the discontent expressed by
the government in Ankara. The proposal will be regularly discussed on
Thursday in the French National Assembly, reported French Parliamentary
Relations Minister Patrick Ollier, who specified that the idea of
postponing the vote was not even taken into consideration in today's
meeting with parliamentary group leaders, which sets the agenda for
the week.
The decision greatly irritated Turkish President Abdullah Gul, who
launched a harsh warning to Paris. "It is not possible for us to
accept this bill (...) which denies the right to reject baseless and
unjust accusations against our country and our nation," explained Gul,
calling for France to abandon this "unacceptable" law.
The bill establishes a sentence of one year in prison and a fine
of 45,000 euros for denial of the Armenian genocide, which France
recognised in 2001 and which, according to many scholars, caused the
death of 1.5 million people. Turkey has acknowledged that 500,000
people died between 1915 and 1917, but considers these people to be
victims of World War I and not of genocide.
Yesterday two Turkish delegations of MPs and businessmen arrived in
Paris to try to stop the law approving criminalising the denial of
the Armenian genocide from being passed.
Today, Turkish MPs are set to meet with President Sarkozy's diplomatic
advisor Jean-David Levitte, and the head of French diplomacy, Alain
Juppe. If a crisis were to erupt between France and Turkey it would
come at a difficult time for France, in a regional context in which
Turkey plays an essential role in resolving the situations involving
Iran and Syria. (ANSAmed)
ANSAmed
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/politics/2011/12/20/visualizza_new.html_16524698.html
Dec 20 2011
Italy
Parliament confirms discussion on Thurs. Gul, 'unacceptable'
(ANSAmed) - PARIS - Tensions between France and Turkey skyrocketed
after a decision was made by the French National Assembly not
to withdraw a bill that criminalising the denial of the Armenian
genocide between 1915 and 1917, despite the discontent expressed by
the government in Ankara. The proposal will be regularly discussed on
Thursday in the French National Assembly, reported French Parliamentary
Relations Minister Patrick Ollier, who specified that the idea of
postponing the vote was not even taken into consideration in today's
meeting with parliamentary group leaders, which sets the agenda for
the week.
The decision greatly irritated Turkish President Abdullah Gul, who
launched a harsh warning to Paris. "It is not possible for us to
accept this bill (...) which denies the right to reject baseless and
unjust accusations against our country and our nation," explained Gul,
calling for France to abandon this "unacceptable" law.
The bill establishes a sentence of one year in prison and a fine
of 45,000 euros for denial of the Armenian genocide, which France
recognised in 2001 and which, according to many scholars, caused the
death of 1.5 million people. Turkey has acknowledged that 500,000
people died between 1915 and 1917, but considers these people to be
victims of World War I and not of genocide.
Yesterday two Turkish delegations of MPs and businessmen arrived in
Paris to try to stop the law approving criminalising the denial of
the Armenian genocide from being passed.
Today, Turkish MPs are set to meet with President Sarkozy's diplomatic
advisor Jean-David Levitte, and the head of French diplomacy, Alain
Juppe. If a crisis were to erupt between France and Turkey it would
come at a difficult time for France, in a regional context in which
Turkey plays an essential role in resolving the situations involving
Iran and Syria. (ANSAmed)