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Deutsche Presse-Agentur , Germany
Dec 23 2011
Turkey's Erdogan accuses France of committing genocide in Algeria
Dec. 23--ISTANBUL -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said
Friday that France had committed genocide during its rule of Algeria,
deepening a rift with Paris after the French parliament approved a
bill criminalizing denial of the Armenian genocide.
"France massacred 15 per cent of the population in Algeria starting in
1945. This is genocide," Erdogan told CNN Turk, referring to France's
rule of Algeria which ended when the north African country gained
independence in 1962.
The bill approved on Thursday by the lower house of parliament makes
it a crime, punishable by a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros
(58,000 dollars), to deny that Armenians suffered genocide at the
hands of Ottoman Turks during World War I.
It prompted Turkey to recall its ambassador from Paris, and he
returned to Ankara on Friday, Turkish agency Andadolu reported.
Erdogan also announced that French military planes could no longer fly
over Turkey; French naval ships could no longer dock in Turkish ports;
and all military, political, economic and educational exchanges,
visits and commission meetings were cancelled.
Armenians say that up to 1.5 million people were either killed or died
of neglect on deportation marches to the Syrian desert between 1915
and 1918.
Ankara says between 300,000 and 500,000 Armenians were killed, but
argues that the deaths were mainly the result of unrest following the
invasion of eastern Turkey by Russian forces, and that there was no
systematic policy to kill them.
Dec 23 2011
Turkey's Erdogan accuses France of committing genocide in Algeria
Dec. 23--ISTANBUL -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said
Friday that France had committed genocide during its rule of Algeria,
deepening a rift with Paris after the French parliament approved a
bill criminalizing denial of the Armenian genocide.
"France massacred 15 per cent of the population in Algeria starting in
1945. This is genocide," Erdogan told CNN Turk, referring to France's
rule of Algeria which ended when the north African country gained
independence in 1962.
The bill approved on Thursday by the lower house of parliament makes
it a crime, punishable by a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros
(58,000 dollars), to deny that Armenians suffered genocide at the
hands of Ottoman Turks during World War I.
It prompted Turkey to recall its ambassador from Paris, and he
returned to Ankara on Friday, Turkish agency Andadolu reported.
Erdogan also announced that French military planes could no longer fly
over Turkey; French naval ships could no longer dock in Turkish ports;
and all military, political, economic and educational exchanges,
visits and commission meetings were cancelled.
Armenians say that up to 1.5 million people were either killed or died
of neglect on deportation marches to the Syrian desert between 1915
and 1918.
Ankara says between 300,000 and 500,000 Armenians were killed, but
argues that the deaths were mainly the result of unrest following the
invasion of eastern Turkey by Russian forces, and that there was no
systematic policy to kill them.