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Today's Zaman, Turkey
April 8 2012
Bahçeli visits Turks in France, slams Armenian genocide denial bill
8 April 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli started a
European trip by attending the 10th Congress of the French Turkish
Federation on Saturday, where he stated that France's statements
regarding an Armenian genocide in Turkey are nothing but slander and
empty claims.
Turkish-French relations were saved from further deterioration
following a ruling by France's Constitutional Council in February that
a bill criminalizing the denial of Armenian claims of genocide
violated the constitution. But problems in the countries' bilateral
relations linger on mainly due to the French president's staunch
opposition to Turkey's EU membership.
Speaking to 10,000 participants at the congress held in the French
city of Metz, Bahçeli said the genocide denial bill is not
right-minded and is full of lies. "People who tried to put our nation
in the defendant's chair, with the encouragement of the Armenian
diaspora, have failed. The Armenian diaspora now needs to become
wiser," the MHP leader added.
Bahçeli thanked people who stood up against the genocide denial bill
with protests in the French capital of Paris. He told the attendees
that Turks have nothing shameful to face about their history and
added, "We have nothing to learn from anyone."
Mentioning the gunman of Algerian origin who killed seven people in
the southern French city of Toulouse, the MHP leader said it is not
right to link this terrorist act to Islam. Furthermore, Bahçeli
criticized the people who relentlessly use the term "Islamic
terrorism."
"People who use the words 'Islam' and 'terrorism' together are in the
wrong. Speaking of Muslims and terrorism together is nothing but
crusade ideology" he said.
Bahçeli also criticized the European countries for their support for
the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). "It is wrong to support
terrorists. The PKK has shed blood on Cudi [a mountain in Turkey
bordering northern Iraq] and got welcomed in Paris. These kinds of
acts make it difficult to fight terrorism on a global scale," he
added. The MHP leader lastly advised Turks who are French citizens, to
cast their votes in the presidential elections in France. Bahçeli then
traveled to Austria on Sunday to hold a large meeting with Turks
there.
April 8 2012
Bahçeli visits Turks in France, slams Armenian genocide denial bill
8 April 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli started a
European trip by attending the 10th Congress of the French Turkish
Federation on Saturday, where he stated that France's statements
regarding an Armenian genocide in Turkey are nothing but slander and
empty claims.
Turkish-French relations were saved from further deterioration
following a ruling by France's Constitutional Council in February that
a bill criminalizing the denial of Armenian claims of genocide
violated the constitution. But problems in the countries' bilateral
relations linger on mainly due to the French president's staunch
opposition to Turkey's EU membership.
Speaking to 10,000 participants at the congress held in the French
city of Metz, Bahçeli said the genocide denial bill is not
right-minded and is full of lies. "People who tried to put our nation
in the defendant's chair, with the encouragement of the Armenian
diaspora, have failed. The Armenian diaspora now needs to become
wiser," the MHP leader added.
Bahçeli thanked people who stood up against the genocide denial bill
with protests in the French capital of Paris. He told the attendees
that Turks have nothing shameful to face about their history and
added, "We have nothing to learn from anyone."
Mentioning the gunman of Algerian origin who killed seven people in
the southern French city of Toulouse, the MHP leader said it is not
right to link this terrorist act to Islam. Furthermore, Bahçeli
criticized the people who relentlessly use the term "Islamic
terrorism."
"People who use the words 'Islam' and 'terrorism' together are in the
wrong. Speaking of Muslims and terrorism together is nothing but
crusade ideology" he said.
Bahçeli also criticized the European countries for their support for
the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). "It is wrong to support
terrorists. The PKK has shed blood on Cudi [a mountain in Turkey
bordering northern Iraq] and got welcomed in Paris. These kinds of
acts make it difficult to fight terrorism on a global scale," he
added. The MHP leader lastly advised Turks who are French citizens, to
cast their votes in the presidential elections in France. Bahçeli then
traveled to Austria on Sunday to hold a large meeting with Turks
there.