Le Monde: Genocide denial integral part of Turkish identity

February 26, 2012 – 16:27 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide is not a
mere negation of `its dark pages’, but rather, a result of official
Ankara’s long-term policy, Le Monde French newspaper said.

`With denial policy as an integral part of Turkish identity, official
Ankara’s violations of human rights continue into the present.’

`One of the basics of Turkey’s domestic policy, Genocide denial was
further adopted as a stance for many Turkish-born Europeans, bringing
a disregard for the rights of the descendants of Genocide survivors
who fled to France to save themselves from massacres,’ the newspaper
said, commenting on French Senate’s adoption of a bill penalizing
Genocide denial.

On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill criminalizing the
Armenian Genocide. If signed into law, the bill will impose a 45,000
euro fine and a year in prison for anyone in France who denies this
crime against humanity committed by the Ottoman Empire.