ERDOGAN DELAYS IMPOSING SANCTIONS AGAINST FRANCE
ARMENPRESS
JANUARY 24, 2012
YEREVAN
ANKARA, JANUARY 24, ARMENPRESS: Turkey will take reacting steps
against the bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide
after waiting for some time. “We will wait and see the developments
and decide on our reply to them,” he said. “The current conflict must
not turn into a large-scale issue,” Turkey’s PM Recep Erdogan stated.
So, the Turkish PM reacted the passing of the Armenian Bill by the
French Senate. The head of the government made this statement during
the sitting of Justice and Development Party’s faction at the Turkish
Parliament, Armenpress reports.
Erdogan stressed that he does not attach importance to the decisions
adopted by the French NA and Senate: “There is no bill for Turkey”.
“This is a racist and discriminatory approach and if you cannot
see this, then you are deaf to the footsteps of fascism in Europe,”
Mr Erdogan said.
Erdogan called on the French intellectuals and political figures to
be watchful and branded the bill as manifestation of racism, adding
the bill “murdered freedom of thought”.
He also reminded that Sarkozy’s grandfather was born in the territory
of the Ottoman Empire and now Sarkozy is playing a role of an enemy
to Turkey.
Again and again Erdogan called on France not to interfere in the home
affairs of Ankara.
The French Senate passed the bill criminalizing the denial of the
Armenian Genocide by 127 votes to 86. The senators hailed the passing
of the bill with applauses.
The bill intends a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros ($57,000)
for everyone who will deny the genocide.
France strives to make punishable all the crimes, which have been
recognized and condemned in that country. A bill criminalizing the
denial of the Holocaust has been working in France since 1990, and
France has recognized the Armenian Genocide still in 2001.
From: Baghdasarian