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TURKISH FURY AS FRENCH MPS BACK ARMENIA GENOCIDE BILL
EuroNews
http://www.euronews.net/2011/12/22/french-lower-house-backs-armenia-genocide-bill/
Dec 22 2011
France
Despite protests from France's Turkish community, the lower house of
parliament in Paris has backed a bill making the denial of genocide
a crime.
For France, this covers the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman
Turks in 1915. But that puts it at odds with Ankara which rejects
the genocide description.
"We want to leave history to historians and politics to politicians,"
said one Franco-Turkish demonstrator outside the National Assembly.
"We don't want politicians to deal with history."
France stressed the bill was not a government initiative. But it has
raised tension with Turkey whose Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
has warned of political and economic consequences if it is passed.
Turkey has recalled its ambassador to France in protest.
Many people in Istanbul are not happy either.
"It is ridiculous to prevent people from speaking their minds in a
place where democracy exists," said Turkish citizen Isa Capanoglu.
"But the Europeans are really good at taking advantage of this. They
mention the Armenian genocide much more than the genocide against
the Jews in Germany. I believe it is a double standard."
If the bill is now passed in the upper house, offenders could face
a one year jail term and a 45,000 euro fine.
The Turkish press has accused Nicolas Sarkozy of trying to win the
votes of France's half a million ethnic Armenians in next year's
presidential poll.
EuroNews
http://www.euronews.net/2011/12/22/french-lower-house-backs-armenia-genocide-bill/
Dec 22 2011
France
Despite protests from France's Turkish community, the lower house of
parliament in Paris has backed a bill making the denial of genocide
a crime.
For France, this covers the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman
Turks in 1915. But that puts it at odds with Ankara which rejects
the genocide description.
"We want to leave history to historians and politics to politicians,"
said one Franco-Turkish demonstrator outside the National Assembly.
"We don't want politicians to deal with history."
France stressed the bill was not a government initiative. But it has
raised tension with Turkey whose Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
has warned of political and economic consequences if it is passed.
Turkey has recalled its ambassador to France in protest.
Many people in Istanbul are not happy either.
"It is ridiculous to prevent people from speaking their minds in a
place where democracy exists," said Turkish citizen Isa Capanoglu.
"But the Europeans are really good at taking advantage of this. They
mention the Armenian genocide much more than the genocide against
the Jews in Germany. I believe it is a double standard."
If the bill is now passed in the upper house, offenders could face
a one year jail term and a 45,000 euro fine.
The Turkish press has accused Nicolas Sarkozy of trying to win the
votes of France's half a million ethnic Armenians in next year's
presidential poll.