FRANCE’S ADOPTION OF “ARMENIAN GENOCIDE” BILL TO DAMAGE RELATIONS WITH TURKEY
Trend
Jan 23 2012
Azerbaijan
If the French Senate adopts a bill criminalising denial of the
so-called “Armenian genocide” relations with Turkey will be seriously
damaged, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc told reporters
at the press-conference of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe (PACE) on Monday, expressing his attitude toward bill which
is being discussed at present in the French Senate.
He said Turkey considers France to be exemplary country.
“Level of cooperation between the two countries was at good level.
Unfortunately, today’s wrong decisions contribute to worsening of
these relations. Bill which is being considered in the French Senate
hits freedom of speech. This bill also contradicts regulations of the
European convention on human rights and decisions of the European
court. The Armenian diaspora made claims on “genocide” and we do
not understand desire of the French parliament to rewrite history,”
he said.
He said it is historians who should deal with history.
“However this issue is used in France for domestic purposes. All
this doesn’t correspond to the France’s history, to its past. We hope
this mistake will be corrected during the consideration of this bill
in the French Senate. In case the bill is adopted relations between
Turkey and France will be seriously damaged,” he said.
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