LIBERALS IN EP CRITICISE FRENCH ARMENIAN GENOCIDE LAW
Kuwait News Agency
http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2217051&language=en
Jan 24 2012
BRUSSELS, Jan 24 (KUNA) -- The adoption yesterday by the French senate
of a law which makes the denial of an alleged genocide of Armenians
by Turkey a punishable offence was strongly criticised Tuesday by
the Liberals, Group, ALDE, in the Europdean Parliament.
Alexander Graf Lanbsdorf responsible for EU-Turkey affairs for the
group said: "Yesterday's decision by the French Senate is an additional
burden on already strained Turkish-European relations".
Apart from a few, narrowly defined and politically justified
exceptions, assertions of historical facts should be left to historians
and should certainly not be made a crime. The vote in the Senate is
all the more incomprehensible because the alleged Turkish genocide
of Armenians in 1915 is an event in which France was not involved in
any way he said in a statement.
Andrew Duff ALDE member of EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee
added: "The French parliament is wrong to play the role of a court.
The definition of genocide is properly a judicial matter and should
not be reduced to the banality of party politics".
ALDE is the third biggest political group in the EP. (end) nk.mt KUNA
242046 Jan 12NNNN
Kuwait News Agency
http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2217051&language=en
Jan 24 2012
BRUSSELS, Jan 24 (KUNA) -- The adoption yesterday by the French senate
of a law which makes the denial of an alleged genocide of Armenians
by Turkey a punishable offence was strongly criticised Tuesday by
the Liberals, Group, ALDE, in the Europdean Parliament.
Alexander Graf Lanbsdorf responsible for EU-Turkey affairs for the
group said: "Yesterday's decision by the French Senate is an additional
burden on already strained Turkish-European relations".
Apart from a few, narrowly defined and politically justified
exceptions, assertions of historical facts should be left to historians
and should certainly not be made a crime. The vote in the Senate is
all the more incomprehensible because the alleged Turkish genocide
of Armenians in 1915 is an event in which France was not involved in
any way he said in a statement.
Andrew Duff ALDE member of EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee
added: "The French parliament is wrong to play the role of a court.
The definition of genocide is properly a judicial matter and should
not be reduced to the banality of party politics".
ALDE is the third biggest political group in the EP. (end) nk.mt KUNA
242046 Jan 12NNNN