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FRENCH SENATE PRESIDENT OPPOSES DENIAL BILL, CONCERNED OVER EFFECTS
Today's Zaman
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-268532-french-senate-president-opposes-denial-bill-concerned-over-effects.html
Jan 13 2012
Turkey
The president of the French Senate has stated that he is becoming
less inclined to pass laws on historic events, referring to a bill
the Senate will discuss in two weeks time to criminalize the denial
of the alleged ~SArmenian genocide,~T adding that he was worried
about the future of bilateral relations between Turkey and France.
Jean-Pierre Bel, the French Senate president, told reporters on
Friday that he does not welcome the upcoming denial bill that will
be debated in the Senate on Jan. 23, and, if passed, will become a
law that seeks punishment for anyone who denies that the killings of
Armenians in 1915 by Ottoman Turks amounted to genocide.
~SI am becoming less and less supportive of making laws in parliament
regarding historic events,~T Bel was quoted as saying by the Anatolian
news agency, as he noted that the president of the French Senate is
not obliged to vote on bills. Bel, a Socialist politician, also added
that he was worried about the direction of bilateral relations between
Turkey and France ~Sat a time when relations need to be strengthened.~T
The French Senate is readying to vote on the bill that seriously has
already affected economic and political relations between Turkey
and France. The bill initiated a series of efforts from Turkish
politicians and businessmen to press the French Parliament into
dropping the bill from the agenda. Although initial lobbying was not
effective enough get the bill retracted, Turkey is still working hard
to get it dropped in the Senate vote.
Meanwhile, a number of French senators, led by the Green group and the
European Democrat and Social Rally (RDSE), also said they would vote
against the bill. The group respects historic experience nations who
have suffered but the bill will not help the normalization process
between Turkey and Armenia, a RDSE statement relayed by Anatolia read.
RDSE has only 16 senators in the Senate, but the Green Group has even
fewer, Anatolia noted. Although a number of Socialists and senators
from Nicolas Sarkozy~Rs ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP)
party are also expected to vote against the bill, Turkey fears the
bill might pass nevertheless, negatively affecting relations between
the two countries even further.
Both Turkey and Armenia remain very sensitive on the harsh 1915
allegations that Ottoman Turks attempted to systematically cleanse
Armenians and other minorities and succeeded in murdering more than
1 million of them, as Turkey vehemently rejects that the killings
were systematic and had no implications of genocide, and the death
toll is inflated.
Regardless of the debate on World War I history, Turkey has warned
French officials that the passage of the bill would set relations back
a decade, and Turkish people would protest French firms investing
in the country while withdrawing their business from France. Turkey
cannot officially impose measures against France even if the bill
passes since it is banned from doing so by international agreements.
The French bill, if it passes, stipulates a fine of 45,000 euros and
a one-year prison term for anyone who says the Armenian deaths do
not amount to genocide, or belittle the killings.
From: A. Papazian
Today's Zaman
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-268532-french-senate-president-opposes-denial-bill-concerned-over-effects.html
Jan 13 2012
Turkey
The president of the French Senate has stated that he is becoming
less inclined to pass laws on historic events, referring to a bill
the Senate will discuss in two weeks time to criminalize the denial
of the alleged ~SArmenian genocide,~T adding that he was worried
about the future of bilateral relations between Turkey and France.
Jean-Pierre Bel, the French Senate president, told reporters on
Friday that he does not welcome the upcoming denial bill that will
be debated in the Senate on Jan. 23, and, if passed, will become a
law that seeks punishment for anyone who denies that the killings of
Armenians in 1915 by Ottoman Turks amounted to genocide.
~SI am becoming less and less supportive of making laws in parliament
regarding historic events,~T Bel was quoted as saying by the Anatolian
news agency, as he noted that the president of the French Senate is
not obliged to vote on bills. Bel, a Socialist politician, also added
that he was worried about the direction of bilateral relations between
Turkey and France ~Sat a time when relations need to be strengthened.~T
The French Senate is readying to vote on the bill that seriously has
already affected economic and political relations between Turkey
and France. The bill initiated a series of efforts from Turkish
politicians and businessmen to press the French Parliament into
dropping the bill from the agenda. Although initial lobbying was not
effective enough get the bill retracted, Turkey is still working hard
to get it dropped in the Senate vote.
Meanwhile, a number of French senators, led by the Green group and the
European Democrat and Social Rally (RDSE), also said they would vote
against the bill. The group respects historic experience nations who
have suffered but the bill will not help the normalization process
between Turkey and Armenia, a RDSE statement relayed by Anatolia read.
RDSE has only 16 senators in the Senate, but the Green Group has even
fewer, Anatolia noted. Although a number of Socialists and senators
from Nicolas Sarkozy~Rs ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP)
party are also expected to vote against the bill, Turkey fears the
bill might pass nevertheless, negatively affecting relations between
the two countries even further.
Both Turkey and Armenia remain very sensitive on the harsh 1915
allegations that Ottoman Turks attempted to systematically cleanse
Armenians and other minorities and succeeded in murdering more than
1 million of them, as Turkey vehemently rejects that the killings
were systematic and had no implications of genocide, and the death
toll is inflated.
Regardless of the debate on World War I history, Turkey has warned
French officials that the passage of the bill would set relations back
a decade, and Turkish people would protest French firms investing
in the country while withdrawing their business from France. Turkey
cannot officially impose measures against France even if the bill
passes since it is banned from doing so by international agreements.
The French bill, if it passes, stipulates a fine of 45,000 euros and
a one-year prison term for anyone who says the Armenian deaths do
not amount to genocide, or belittle the killings.
From: A. Papazian