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TURKEY URGES FRANCE TO DROP BILL ON ARMENIAN MASSACRE
Kuwait News Agency
http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2216135&language=en
Jan 20 2012
ANKARA, Jan 20 (KUNA) -- Turkey called on Turkey on Friday to give
up a bill due to be examined by the French parliament on Thursday
making it illegal to deny the Armenian genocide.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a joint news conference
with his visiting South Korean counterpart Kim Sung-Hwan, his country
expected French President Nicolas Sarkozy and French Senate to
"respect European values".
The French parliament is to debate the bill, which would see anyone
in France who publicly denies the genocide facing a year in jail and
a fine of 45, 000 euros (USD 58,000), on Thursday and is expected to
approve it.
The Turkish foreign minister reiterated that Ankara rejected any bid
to make capital out of this issue, which, he said, should be subject
to historical and scientific scrutiny.
He added that France should not poke its nose into a historical issue
that concerns only Turkey and Armenia.
Davutoglu even warned the French parliament that a passage of the
bill would be a stigma in the cultural history of France.
Armenia says up to 1.5 million of its people were killed during
World War I by forces belonging to Turkey's former Ottoman Empire,
a finding Ankara disputes.
Turkey rejects the term genocide and says between 300,000 and
500,000 Armenians, and at least as many Turks, died in combat or
from starvation when Armenians rose up and sided with invading
Russian forces.
France has a large population of Armenian descent seen as an
important element of Sarkozy's support base as he prepares for a
tough re-election battle in April next year.
Turkey has repeatedly urged France to block the bill, or face "serious
and irreparable" consequences for Franco-Turkish relations. Turkey is
an important economic partner for France with about 12 billion euros
in trade between the two countries in 2010. (end) mm.mt KUNA 202251
Jan 12NNNN
Kuwait News Agency
http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2216135&language=en
Jan 20 2012
ANKARA, Jan 20 (KUNA) -- Turkey called on Turkey on Friday to give
up a bill due to be examined by the French parliament on Thursday
making it illegal to deny the Armenian genocide.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a joint news conference
with his visiting South Korean counterpart Kim Sung-Hwan, his country
expected French President Nicolas Sarkozy and French Senate to
"respect European values".
The French parliament is to debate the bill, which would see anyone
in France who publicly denies the genocide facing a year in jail and
a fine of 45, 000 euros (USD 58,000), on Thursday and is expected to
approve it.
The Turkish foreign minister reiterated that Ankara rejected any bid
to make capital out of this issue, which, he said, should be subject
to historical and scientific scrutiny.
He added that France should not poke its nose into a historical issue
that concerns only Turkey and Armenia.
Davutoglu even warned the French parliament that a passage of the
bill would be a stigma in the cultural history of France.
Armenia says up to 1.5 million of its people were killed during
World War I by forces belonging to Turkey's former Ottoman Empire,
a finding Ankara disputes.
Turkey rejects the term genocide and says between 300,000 and
500,000 Armenians, and at least as many Turks, died in combat or
from starvation when Armenians rose up and sided with invading
Russian forces.
France has a large population of Armenian descent seen as an
important element of Sarkozy's support base as he prepares for a
tough re-election battle in April next year.
Turkey has repeatedly urged France to block the bill, or face "serious
and irreparable" consequences for Franco-Turkish relations. Turkey is
an important economic partner for France with about 12 billion euros
in trade between the two countries in 2010. (end) mm.mt KUNA 202251
Jan 12NNNN