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ANKARA MIGHT LEARN FROM PARIS TO FACE HISTORY, SARKSYAN SAYS
Today's Zaman
Nov 13 2012
Turkey
Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan has hailed the way French leaders
are facing the past, saying, "Turkish leaders should take a lesson
from that."
Paying a three-day official visit to Paris, Sarksyan praised French
President Francois Hollande's criticism of the mass deportation of
Jews to concentration camps. "I will ask President Hollande to tell
Turkish officials how he himself reproached the deportation of Jews
to concentration camps. Turkish rulers might take lessons from that,"
Sarksyan said in a talk with French paper Le Figaro on Tuesday.
Sarksyan also said that the convergence between Turkey and France and
other European countries is predestined as it serves the embracing
of European values by Turks, adding, Turkish politics "are based on
principles, rather than on damaging Turkey's image abroad."
Asked to comment on the Armenian "genocide" bill that would penalize
describing the 1915 events as genocide, which is in violation of the
freedom of expression guaranteed in the French constitution, Sarksyan
dismissed responding saying it would be difficult for him to anticipate
the decision taken in regards to the bill. "I can only accept the
clear and positive attitude of President Hollande on to the issue."
France's Constitutional Council early this year overturned a
controversial bill that would criminalize the denial of claims that
1.5 million Armenians perished in a systematic genocide campaign
during the late Ottoman Empire, although the bill was approved by
both the French National Assembly and Senate.
Sarksyan met his French counterpart Hollande at the Elysee Palace in
Paris on Monday, while Azerbaijani civil groups together with Turks
living in Paris protested the visit of Sarksyan.
About 500 people in Azeri-Turkish groups gathered in front of the
Armenian Embassy in Paris with Turkish and Azerbaijani flags and
anti-Sarksyan placards in their hands.
The groups shouted such slogans as "Killer Sarksyan," "Liberation
to Nagorno-Karabakh," "Let Armenia withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh"
and "Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan and will always remain
Azerbaijan's."
Speaking on behalf of the group, many thanks were delivered to
Turkey for its support to Azerbaijan in efforts to settle the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict since the early 1990s. "Armenia will
certainly leave Nagorno-Karabakh one day," the statement said. The
statement also noted, "Sarksyan will one day give an account for the
mass killing perpetuated in Khojaly."
Feb. 26, 1992, is one of the most traumatic dates in history for
Azerbaijanis, when the Armenian Armed Forces, commanded by current
Armenian President Sarksyan, wiped out the city of Khojaly with the
support of Russia's 366th armored battalion.
The two presidents discussed Armenian-French relations, the necessity
of maintaining political dialogue, expanding the economic presence
of France in Armenia and boosting trade between the two countries
during their meeting.
Presidents Sarksyan and Hollande also exchanged views on regional
issues and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Today's Zaman
Nov 13 2012
Turkey
Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan has hailed the way French leaders
are facing the past, saying, "Turkish leaders should take a lesson
from that."
Paying a three-day official visit to Paris, Sarksyan praised French
President Francois Hollande's criticism of the mass deportation of
Jews to concentration camps. "I will ask President Hollande to tell
Turkish officials how he himself reproached the deportation of Jews
to concentration camps. Turkish rulers might take lessons from that,"
Sarksyan said in a talk with French paper Le Figaro on Tuesday.
Sarksyan also said that the convergence between Turkey and France and
other European countries is predestined as it serves the embracing
of European values by Turks, adding, Turkish politics "are based on
principles, rather than on damaging Turkey's image abroad."
Asked to comment on the Armenian "genocide" bill that would penalize
describing the 1915 events as genocide, which is in violation of the
freedom of expression guaranteed in the French constitution, Sarksyan
dismissed responding saying it would be difficult for him to anticipate
the decision taken in regards to the bill. "I can only accept the
clear and positive attitude of President Hollande on to the issue."
France's Constitutional Council early this year overturned a
controversial bill that would criminalize the denial of claims that
1.5 million Armenians perished in a systematic genocide campaign
during the late Ottoman Empire, although the bill was approved by
both the French National Assembly and Senate.
Sarksyan met his French counterpart Hollande at the Elysee Palace in
Paris on Monday, while Azerbaijani civil groups together with Turks
living in Paris protested the visit of Sarksyan.
About 500 people in Azeri-Turkish groups gathered in front of the
Armenian Embassy in Paris with Turkish and Azerbaijani flags and
anti-Sarksyan placards in their hands.
The groups shouted such slogans as "Killer Sarksyan," "Liberation
to Nagorno-Karabakh," "Let Armenia withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh"
and "Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan and will always remain
Azerbaijan's."
Speaking on behalf of the group, many thanks were delivered to
Turkey for its support to Azerbaijan in efforts to settle the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict since the early 1990s. "Armenia will
certainly leave Nagorno-Karabakh one day," the statement said. The
statement also noted, "Sarksyan will one day give an account for the
mass killing perpetuated in Khojaly."
Feb. 26, 1992, is one of the most traumatic dates in history for
Azerbaijanis, when the Armenian Armed Forces, commanded by current
Armenian President Sarksyan, wiped out the city of Khojaly with the
support of Russia's 366th armored battalion.
The two presidents discussed Armenian-French relations, the necessity
of maintaining political dialogue, expanding the economic presence
of France in Armenia and boosting trade between the two countries
during their meeting.
Presidents Sarksyan and Hollande also exchanged views on regional
issues and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.