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DENIAL OF GENOCIDE TO BE CRIMINALIZED IN ENTIRE EU
BIAnet.org
Jan 10 2012
Turkey
According to the EU states' Joint Framework Decision on the denial
of genocide, the denial of the Armenian genocide can be considered
a crime in 26 countries. French President Sarkozy wants the decision
to be valid in the whole EU.
Ankara - Paris - BİA News Center10 January 2012, Tuesday French
President Nicolas Sarkozy pushes for a genocide denial law to be
valid in the whole European Union (EU). His efforts come after the
French Parliament passed a law on 22 December 2011 that foresees
legal punishment for the denial of the Armenian genocide.
The draft law was brought to the agenda of the French Senate and
is being debated today (9 January) at the Presidency Council of the
Senate. The draft will probably be presented to the Senate between
23 and 31 January. As reported by the Hurriyet newspaper, Sarkozy
signed a decision that might also affect Turkey's EU accession process.
The EU Joint Framework Decision was a matter of debate since 2001and
approved on 19 April 2007 under German EU Presidency. It intends to
fight racism, xenophobia and genocide.
In other words, the recent decision taken in France does not only
concern the country but might become valid for all 26 EU member
states. The decision entitles the courts of the EU states to decide
whether the act of genocide happened or not. Should the courts approve
the provision, anybody who denies the genocide can be sentenced to
imprisonment of up to three years.
French bureaucrats and diplomats in Brussels took efforts at the
EU Commission and the EU Council that the Framework Decision should
also cover the denial of the Armenian Genocide once the draft bill
will have been approved by the French Senate. This means that the
denial of genocide within the EU would be punished with prison terms
of between one and three years.
The Framework Decision also stipulates regulations that include the
state's struggle against racism and the punishment of the denial of
the holocaust.
What happened after the law was approved?
* The parliamentary approval of the law on the denial of the Armenian
genocide caused diplomatic tensions between France and Turkey.
* Representatives of the Association of Turkish Industrialists
and Business People (TUİSAD) and the Turkish Union of Chambers
and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) went to Paris to prevent the draft
bill from passing into law. They warned that the draft might have
a negative influence on the anticipated purchase of a considerable
number of Airbus planes by Turkish Airlines and on energy tenders
worth $ 100 billion for the coming ten years.
* Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his dissent, "It was
genocide what the French did in Algeria. If Sarkozy does not know that,
he should go and ask his father Pal Sarkozy about it".
* Thereupon, Algerian President Ahmet Uyahya responded, "The Turks
brought the French to Algeria for three days. Don't take advantage
of our bloodshed".
* On 23 December, right after the draft bill had been approved by
the French Parliament, Turkish Ambassador to France Tahsin Burcuoglu
was being called to Ankara. However, Burcuoglu returned to France
to resume work on 8 January. The declared reason for his return was
"Taking efforts to prevent the draft bill from passing through Senate".
* It was announced that French companies or companies with French
partners might not be entitled to participate in the air defence
system tender of the Undersecretariat of Defence Industries (SSM)
worth $ 4 billion.
France had previously recognized the genocide of Armenians and
Switzerland and Slovakia had approved of legal punishment for the
denial of genocide.
On 16 December 2003, Switzerland recognized the Armenian genocide in
a parliament decision. The related decision is still pending in the
senate. Later on, a provision foreseeing monetary fines and prison
terms for the denial of genocide was added to the regulations.
Switzerland was the first country to implement such a provision.
Turkey released a protest note and condemned the decision. The
regulation was put in order within the process despite the fact that
diplomatic relations between Turkey and Switzerland were shaken.
(IC/VK)
These are the countries which recognized the Armenian genocide: Uruguay
(1965), Greek Cypriot Administration (1982), Argentina (1993), Russia
(1995), Canada (1996), Greece (1996), Lebanon (1997), Belgium (1998),
France(2001), Sweden (2000), Italy (2000), Switzerland (2003),
Slovakia (2004), the Netherlands (2004), Poland (2005), Germany
(2005), Venezuela (2005), Litvanya (2005), Chile (2007).
BIAnet.org
Jan 10 2012
Turkey
According to the EU states' Joint Framework Decision on the denial
of genocide, the denial of the Armenian genocide can be considered
a crime in 26 countries. French President Sarkozy wants the decision
to be valid in the whole EU.
Ankara - Paris - BİA News Center10 January 2012, Tuesday French
President Nicolas Sarkozy pushes for a genocide denial law to be
valid in the whole European Union (EU). His efforts come after the
French Parliament passed a law on 22 December 2011 that foresees
legal punishment for the denial of the Armenian genocide.
The draft law was brought to the agenda of the French Senate and
is being debated today (9 January) at the Presidency Council of the
Senate. The draft will probably be presented to the Senate between
23 and 31 January. As reported by the Hurriyet newspaper, Sarkozy
signed a decision that might also affect Turkey's EU accession process.
The EU Joint Framework Decision was a matter of debate since 2001and
approved on 19 April 2007 under German EU Presidency. It intends to
fight racism, xenophobia and genocide.
In other words, the recent decision taken in France does not only
concern the country but might become valid for all 26 EU member
states. The decision entitles the courts of the EU states to decide
whether the act of genocide happened or not. Should the courts approve
the provision, anybody who denies the genocide can be sentenced to
imprisonment of up to three years.
French bureaucrats and diplomats in Brussels took efforts at the
EU Commission and the EU Council that the Framework Decision should
also cover the denial of the Armenian Genocide once the draft bill
will have been approved by the French Senate. This means that the
denial of genocide within the EU would be punished with prison terms
of between one and three years.
The Framework Decision also stipulates regulations that include the
state's struggle against racism and the punishment of the denial of
the holocaust.
What happened after the law was approved?
* The parliamentary approval of the law on the denial of the Armenian
genocide caused diplomatic tensions between France and Turkey.
* Representatives of the Association of Turkish Industrialists
and Business People (TUİSAD) and the Turkish Union of Chambers
and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) went to Paris to prevent the draft
bill from passing into law. They warned that the draft might have
a negative influence on the anticipated purchase of a considerable
number of Airbus planes by Turkish Airlines and on energy tenders
worth $ 100 billion for the coming ten years.
* Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his dissent, "It was
genocide what the French did in Algeria. If Sarkozy does not know that,
he should go and ask his father Pal Sarkozy about it".
* Thereupon, Algerian President Ahmet Uyahya responded, "The Turks
brought the French to Algeria for three days. Don't take advantage
of our bloodshed".
* On 23 December, right after the draft bill had been approved by
the French Parliament, Turkish Ambassador to France Tahsin Burcuoglu
was being called to Ankara. However, Burcuoglu returned to France
to resume work on 8 January. The declared reason for his return was
"Taking efforts to prevent the draft bill from passing through Senate".
* It was announced that French companies or companies with French
partners might not be entitled to participate in the air defence
system tender of the Undersecretariat of Defence Industries (SSM)
worth $ 4 billion.
France had previously recognized the genocide of Armenians and
Switzerland and Slovakia had approved of legal punishment for the
denial of genocide.
On 16 December 2003, Switzerland recognized the Armenian genocide in
a parliament decision. The related decision is still pending in the
senate. Later on, a provision foreseeing monetary fines and prison
terms for the denial of genocide was added to the regulations.
Switzerland was the first country to implement such a provision.
Turkey released a protest note and condemned the decision. The
regulation was put in order within the process despite the fact that
diplomatic relations between Turkey and Switzerland were shaken.
(IC/VK)
These are the countries which recognized the Armenian genocide: Uruguay
(1965), Greek Cypriot Administration (1982), Argentina (1993), Russia
(1995), Canada (1996), Greece (1996), Lebanon (1997), Belgium (1998),
France(2001), Sweden (2000), Italy (2000), Switzerland (2003),
Slovakia (2004), the Netherlands (2004), Poland (2005), Germany
(2005), Venezuela (2005), Litvanya (2005), Chile (2007).