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FRENCH PRESIDENT IGNORES ABDULLAH GUL'S PHONE CALLS
arminfo
Wednesday, December 21, 14:17
President Abdullah Gul has called on France to backtrack on passing
a bill that criminalizes those who refuse to define the World War I-
era killings of Armenians at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire as
genocide as soon as possible.
Gul's media adviser, Ahmet Sever, told The Associated Press that the
Turkish president decided to issue the statement after Sarkozy failed
to take his calls.
"We tried (to reach Sarkozy) for the past three days, but his aides
gave excuses to string us along," Sever said. "He (Sarkozy) shied
away from talking to us."
No one was immediately available for comment at the French president's
office.
In October, Sarkozy traveled to Armenia and urged Turkey to recognize
the 1915 killings as genocide, hinting then that failure to do so
could force France to change its law and make such denials a criminal
offense.
"Turkey, which is a great country, would honor itself by revisiting
its history like other countries in the world have done," Sarkozy
said during his visit to the Armenian capital, Yerevan.
Gul released a written statement on Tuesday, criticizing the latest
French move to penalize denial of the alleged Armenian genocide
in France. Stating that the bill is unacceptable, Gul said, "It is
inconsiderate to distort history for political purposes."
"It is impossible for us to accept a bill that is now on the agenda
of the French National Assembly and which aims to eliminate freedom of
denying unfair and groundless accusations directed against our country
and nation. I hope France gives up this move, which is disrespectable
to freedom of expression and which will soon put France in a position
that will not even allow objective research in France. We expect that
mind and common sense rule in France, the bill in question is dropped
and history writing is left to historians," Gul said in the statement.
To recall, the French National Assembly will discuss the bill
criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial on December 22. The bill
is criminalizing the Armenian genocide denial, amends the law on
freedom press criminalizing, proposing a clause on racially motivating
crimes. The new bill stipulates one year in prison and a fine in the
amount of 45,000 Euros for anyone who denies the fact of the Armenian
Genocide in the territory of France, which officially recognized the
Armenian genocide on Jan 29 2001, the French NA website reports.
arminfo
Wednesday, December 21, 14:17
President Abdullah Gul has called on France to backtrack on passing
a bill that criminalizes those who refuse to define the World War I-
era killings of Armenians at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire as
genocide as soon as possible.
Gul's media adviser, Ahmet Sever, told The Associated Press that the
Turkish president decided to issue the statement after Sarkozy failed
to take his calls.
"We tried (to reach Sarkozy) for the past three days, but his aides
gave excuses to string us along," Sever said. "He (Sarkozy) shied
away from talking to us."
No one was immediately available for comment at the French president's
office.
In October, Sarkozy traveled to Armenia and urged Turkey to recognize
the 1915 killings as genocide, hinting then that failure to do so
could force France to change its law and make such denials a criminal
offense.
"Turkey, which is a great country, would honor itself by revisiting
its history like other countries in the world have done," Sarkozy
said during his visit to the Armenian capital, Yerevan.
Gul released a written statement on Tuesday, criticizing the latest
French move to penalize denial of the alleged Armenian genocide
in France. Stating that the bill is unacceptable, Gul said, "It is
inconsiderate to distort history for political purposes."
"It is impossible for us to accept a bill that is now on the agenda
of the French National Assembly and which aims to eliminate freedom of
denying unfair and groundless accusations directed against our country
and nation. I hope France gives up this move, which is disrespectable
to freedom of expression and which will soon put France in a position
that will not even allow objective research in France. We expect that
mind and common sense rule in France, the bill in question is dropped
and history writing is left to historians," Gul said in the statement.
To recall, the French National Assembly will discuss the bill
criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial on December 22. The bill
is criminalizing the Armenian genocide denial, amends the law on
freedom press criminalizing, proposing a clause on racially motivating
crimes. The new bill stipulates one year in prison and a fine in the
amount of 45,000 Euros for anyone who denies the fact of the Armenian
Genocide in the territory of France, which officially recognized the
Armenian genocide on Jan 29 2001, the French NA website reports.