Trend, Azerbaijan
Dec 23 2011

Turkish president: France has to stop its mediation activity in OSCE MG
23 December 2011, 15:35 (GMT+04:00) Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 23 / Trend
A.Badalova, A. Tagiyeva/

France has to stop its mediation activity in the OSCE Minsk Group
following the adoption of a bill criminalizing denial of the so-called
“Armenian Genocide”, TRT Haber TV Channel quotes Turkish President
Abdullah Gul as saying.

The president said the adoption of such a bill harms the stability in
the Caucasus, in particular it will further comlpicate the current
situation between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

On Thursday, the French parliament adopted a bill criminalizing denial
of the so-called “Armenian Genocide”.

Some 45 out of 577 French MPs participated in the voting, 38 of which
voted for, while 7 voted against the adoption of the bill.

The bill envisages about one year imprisonment and a fine worth 45,000
euros for denial of the so-called “Armenian genocide”.

MPs from the French President’s “Union for Popular Movement” (UMP)
party which has the parliamentary majority, proposed a bill which aims
at criminalizing denial of the so-called “Armenian genocide” to the
legislative committee of the National Assembly in early December.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of Turkey –
Ottoman Empire had committed the 1915 genocide against the Armenians
living in Anadolu, and achieved recognition of the “Armenian Genocide”
by the parliaments of some countries.

From: A. Papazian