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FRENCH COUNCIL ANNULS LAW AGAINST DENIAL OF GENOCIDE
by SCOTT SAYARE
The International Herald Tribune
March 1, 2012 Thursday
France
Turkey applauds ruling, but Sarkozy promises to introduce rewritten
bill
ABSTRACT The Turkish government hailed the ruling and moved to lift
recently imposed penalties, but President Nicolas Sarkozy Enhanced
Coverage LinkingNicolas Sarkozy -Search using:Biographies Plus
NewsNews, Most Recent 60 Daysvowed to introduce a rewritten bill
criminalizing denial of Armenian genocide.
FULL TEXT The French Constitutional Council has struck down a draft
law that would have criminalized the denial of an Armenian genocide
by the Ottoman Turks, legislation that has soured relations between
France and Turkey.
The controversy over the bill is likely to persist, however. President
Nicolas Sarkozy, Enhanced Coverage LinkingNicolas Sarkozy, -Search
using:Biographies Plus NewsNews, Most Recent 60 Dayswho backed the
legislation, vowed Tuesday to submit a new bill with revised language.
He has in the past indicated that he would push to see that denial
of an Armenian genocide is made a crime even if the council ruled
against the draft law.
Mr. Sarkozy offered no indication as to how he thought a new bill
might overcome the objections of the council, which ruled Tuesday that
"the legislature did unconstitutional harm to the exercise of freedom
of expression and communication" in approving the legislation.
After passage of the bill in the French Senate last month, dozens of
lawmakers from across the political spectrum submitted appeals to the
council, insisting that the legislation violated free speech rights
and that it was not the place of the legislature to impose its own
explanation for the hundreds of thousands of Armenian deaths that
began in 1915, amid the chaos of World War I and the collapse of the
Ottoman Empire.
The government in Ankara, the Turkish capital, shared that assessment
and hailed the council's decision on Tuesday. Turkish leaders will
meet to consider the lifting of economic sanctions imposed because of
the bill and the reinstatement of political and military cooperation
with France, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Tuesday. It remained
unclear how Turkey might react should Mr. Sarkozy submit a new bill.
"We consider the annulment of the legislation by the Constitutional
Council as a step that complies with the principles of freedom
of expression and research, the rule of law and international law
in France," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Tuesday evening in
a statement.
The ministry urged France to treat the "conflict between Turkey and
Armenia in a just and scientific manner," in order to contribute to
its resolution "rather than deepening it."
Among the penalties Turkey imposed because of the bill was the
cancellation of the annually issued permission for French military
planes to use Turkish airspace. The Turkish government has long
maintained that an Armenian genocide did not occur and considers
suggestions to the contrary to be an affront to Turkish identity.
Turkish law treats the public affirmation of an Armenian genocide as
a crime.
Historians widely believe that about 1.5 million Armenians were
systematically killed by Ottoman Turkish troops. Turkey maintains
that no more than 500,000 Armenians died, with many of them victims
of starvation or exposure, and not targeted killings.
A French law from 2001 recognizes the Armenian genocide as fact
but calls for no sanctions for those who contest it. The draft law
struck down on Tuesday would have punished denial of the genocide
with up to one year in prison and a fine of up to (EURO)45,000,
or more than $60,000.
The council that ruled on Tuesday evaluates the constitutionality of
French laws; its members include former presidents of France. Mr.
Sarkozy was prohibited from signing the genocide bill into law while
the council deliberated.
A statement released by Mr. Sarkozy's office said he "measures the
immense disappointment and the profound sadness of all those who had
welcomed with recognition and hope the adoption of this law."
The government and the news media in Turkey had lambasted the French
legislation and its backers, accusing French lawmakers of racism and
charging that the writing of history was well beyond the bounds of
their mandate. Some Turkish officials suggested Mr. Sarkozy had backed
the draft law in an effort to pander to the Armenian electorate; Mr.
Sarkozy is up for re-election this year.
In a Twitter message on Tuesday, Bulent Arinc, a deputy prime
minister of Turkey, praised the French council for declining to
"indulge political concerns" in its decision.
by SCOTT SAYARE
The International Herald Tribune
March 1, 2012 Thursday
France
Turkey applauds ruling, but Sarkozy promises to introduce rewritten
bill
ABSTRACT The Turkish government hailed the ruling and moved to lift
recently imposed penalties, but President Nicolas Sarkozy Enhanced
Coverage LinkingNicolas Sarkozy -Search using:Biographies Plus
NewsNews, Most Recent 60 Daysvowed to introduce a rewritten bill
criminalizing denial of Armenian genocide.
FULL TEXT The French Constitutional Council has struck down a draft
law that would have criminalized the denial of an Armenian genocide
by the Ottoman Turks, legislation that has soured relations between
France and Turkey.
The controversy over the bill is likely to persist, however. President
Nicolas Sarkozy, Enhanced Coverage LinkingNicolas Sarkozy, -Search
using:Biographies Plus NewsNews, Most Recent 60 Dayswho backed the
legislation, vowed Tuesday to submit a new bill with revised language.
He has in the past indicated that he would push to see that denial
of an Armenian genocide is made a crime even if the council ruled
against the draft law.
Mr. Sarkozy offered no indication as to how he thought a new bill
might overcome the objections of the council, which ruled Tuesday that
"the legislature did unconstitutional harm to the exercise of freedom
of expression and communication" in approving the legislation.
After passage of the bill in the French Senate last month, dozens of
lawmakers from across the political spectrum submitted appeals to the
council, insisting that the legislation violated free speech rights
and that it was not the place of the legislature to impose its own
explanation for the hundreds of thousands of Armenian deaths that
began in 1915, amid the chaos of World War I and the collapse of the
Ottoman Empire.
The government in Ankara, the Turkish capital, shared that assessment
and hailed the council's decision on Tuesday. Turkish leaders will
meet to consider the lifting of economic sanctions imposed because of
the bill and the reinstatement of political and military cooperation
with France, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Tuesday. It remained
unclear how Turkey might react should Mr. Sarkozy submit a new bill.
"We consider the annulment of the legislation by the Constitutional
Council as a step that complies with the principles of freedom
of expression and research, the rule of law and international law
in France," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Tuesday evening in
a statement.
The ministry urged France to treat the "conflict between Turkey and
Armenia in a just and scientific manner," in order to contribute to
its resolution "rather than deepening it."
Among the penalties Turkey imposed because of the bill was the
cancellation of the annually issued permission for French military
planes to use Turkish airspace. The Turkish government has long
maintained that an Armenian genocide did not occur and considers
suggestions to the contrary to be an affront to Turkish identity.
Turkish law treats the public affirmation of an Armenian genocide as
a crime.
Historians widely believe that about 1.5 million Armenians were
systematically killed by Ottoman Turkish troops. Turkey maintains
that no more than 500,000 Armenians died, with many of them victims
of starvation or exposure, and not targeted killings.
A French law from 2001 recognizes the Armenian genocide as fact
but calls for no sanctions for those who contest it. The draft law
struck down on Tuesday would have punished denial of the genocide
with up to one year in prison and a fine of up to (EURO)45,000,
or more than $60,000.
The council that ruled on Tuesday evaluates the constitutionality of
French laws; its members include former presidents of France. Mr.
Sarkozy was prohibited from signing the genocide bill into law while
the council deliberated.
A statement released by Mr. Sarkozy's office said he "measures the
immense disappointment and the profound sadness of all those who had
welcomed with recognition and hope the adoption of this law."
The government and the news media in Turkey had lambasted the French
legislation and its backers, accusing French lawmakers of racism and
charging that the writing of history was well beyond the bounds of
their mandate. Some Turkish officials suggested Mr. Sarkozy had backed
the draft law in an effort to pander to the Armenian electorate; Mr.
Sarkozy is up for re-election this year.
In a Twitter message on Tuesday, Bulent Arinc, a deputy prime
minister of Turkey, praised the French council for declining to
"indulge political concerns" in its decision.