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TURKEY MULLS PEACE WITH FRANCE IF GENOCIDE STANCE ALTERED
PanARMENIAN.Net
May 11, 2012 - 13:34 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey said it could consider lifting the
eight-article sanctions imposed on France, depending on the stance
the new French administration takes on the Armenian Genocide issue,
Hurriyet Daily News reported.
Speaking of the French presidential candidates' election promises to
revive the country's Genocide Denial law, which was annulled by the
French Constitutional Court of France, Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Selcuk Unal told reporters at his weekly press conference: "Of course
we should look at those statements and monitor further phases. We have
to wait for France to form a new government." "The steps the French
government takes will be the arbiter in our plans," Unal added. "The
situation our bilateral relations are in today does not suit the
strong history of French-Turkish ties," Unal said.
If France acts in what the Turkish government considers as an
appropriate manner, Turkey is ready both to strengthen bilateral ties
and to work closely with France on international issues affecting
Europe's future, Unal said, adding that Ankara also expects that the
new French administration will open the five chapters of Turkey's EU
membership negotiations that have been frozen by France.
On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill criminalizing the
Armenian Genocide denial with 127 votes for and 86 against. The bill
stipulated for 45,000 euro fine and a year in prison for anyone
in France who denies this crime against humanity committed by the
Ottoman Empire.
Turkey reacted furiously when the Senate approved the law. Ankara
halted political and military cooperation with France and was
threatening to cut off economic and cultural ties if the law took
effect.
On February 28, the French Constitutional Council ruled the bill
criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial adopted earlier by the
Senate of France as unconstitutional.
Then President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged to submit a new Genocide bill
in June 2012 if re-elected for a new term.
PanARMENIAN.Net
May 11, 2012 - 13:34 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey said it could consider lifting the
eight-article sanctions imposed on France, depending on the stance
the new French administration takes on the Armenian Genocide issue,
Hurriyet Daily News reported.
Speaking of the French presidential candidates' election promises to
revive the country's Genocide Denial law, which was annulled by the
French Constitutional Court of France, Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Selcuk Unal told reporters at his weekly press conference: "Of course
we should look at those statements and monitor further phases. We have
to wait for France to form a new government." "The steps the French
government takes will be the arbiter in our plans," Unal added. "The
situation our bilateral relations are in today does not suit the
strong history of French-Turkish ties," Unal said.
If France acts in what the Turkish government considers as an
appropriate manner, Turkey is ready both to strengthen bilateral ties
and to work closely with France on international issues affecting
Europe's future, Unal said, adding that Ankara also expects that the
new French administration will open the five chapters of Turkey's EU
membership negotiations that have been frozen by France.
On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill criminalizing the
Armenian Genocide denial with 127 votes for and 86 against. The bill
stipulated for 45,000 euro fine and a year in prison for anyone
in France who denies this crime against humanity committed by the
Ottoman Empire.
Turkey reacted furiously when the Senate approved the law. Ankara
halted political and military cooperation with France and was
threatening to cut off economic and cultural ties if the law took
effect.
On February 28, the French Constitutional Council ruled the bill
criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial adopted earlier by the
Senate of France as unconstitutional.
Then President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged to submit a new Genocide bill
in June 2012 if re-elected for a new term.