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TURKEY VOWS PERMANENT SANCTIONS AS FRANCE VOTES ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL
RFi
http://www.english.rfi.fr/europe/20120123-turkey-vows-permanent-sanctions-asfrance-votes-armenian-genocide-bill
23 jan 2012
France
French senators are set to vote on a bill on Monday to outlaw denial
of the Armenian genocide by Ottoman Turk forces in 1915 despite a
threat by Turkey to punish the law with permanent sanctions.
Relations between the two countries have been damaged since the lower
house last month approved the bill which could send to jail anyone
who denies the genocide.
Ankara has frozen political and military ties with France and has
promised further measures if the bill is passed by the Senate or
approved by President Sarkozy whose UMP party put the bill forward.
A Senate law Commission on Wednesday rejected the measure, but their
vote is not expected to prevent it from becoming law.
Some ministers fear it will hurt diplomatic and trade ties with a
Nato ally and major economic partner.
Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has admitted the bill is "untimely".
On Saturday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu repeated Ankara's
oppsition to the bill saying it goes against European values and
would not help Turkish-Armenian relations.
"It is time for French intellectuals, for French senators to defend
our common values, freedom of expression. These are European, French
values. This is against these values," he said.
In an attempt to diffuse tension with Ankara, Sarkozy sent a
conciliatory letter to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
stressing the measure was not aimed at any state or people in
particular.
France is home to an estimated 500,000 citizens of Armenian descent and
the UMP has been accused of backing the law in order to pander to a key
electoral demographic three months ahead of the presidential election.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their forebears were killed in
1915 and 1916 by the forces of Turkey's former Ottoman Empire.
Turkey disputes the figure, arguing that only 500,000 died, and denies
this was genocide, ascribing the toll to fighting and starvation during
World War I and accusing the Armenians of siding with Russian invaders
RFi
http://www.english.rfi.fr/europe/20120123-turkey-vows-permanent-sanctions-asfrance-votes-armenian-genocide-bill
23 jan 2012
France
French senators are set to vote on a bill on Monday to outlaw denial
of the Armenian genocide by Ottoman Turk forces in 1915 despite a
threat by Turkey to punish the law with permanent sanctions.
Relations between the two countries have been damaged since the lower
house last month approved the bill which could send to jail anyone
who denies the genocide.
Ankara has frozen political and military ties with France and has
promised further measures if the bill is passed by the Senate or
approved by President Sarkozy whose UMP party put the bill forward.
A Senate law Commission on Wednesday rejected the measure, but their
vote is not expected to prevent it from becoming law.
Some ministers fear it will hurt diplomatic and trade ties with a
Nato ally and major economic partner.
Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has admitted the bill is "untimely".
On Saturday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu repeated Ankara's
oppsition to the bill saying it goes against European values and
would not help Turkish-Armenian relations.
"It is time for French intellectuals, for French senators to defend
our common values, freedom of expression. These are European, French
values. This is against these values," he said.
In an attempt to diffuse tension with Ankara, Sarkozy sent a
conciliatory letter to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
stressing the measure was not aimed at any state or people in
particular.
France is home to an estimated 500,000 citizens of Armenian descent and
the UMP has been accused of backing the law in order to pander to a key
electoral demographic three months ahead of the presidential election.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their forebears were killed in
1915 and 1916 by the forces of Turkey's former Ottoman Empire.
Turkey disputes the figure, arguing that only 500,000 died, and denies
this was genocide, ascribing the toll to fighting and starvation during
World War I and accusing the Armenians of siding with Russian invaders