Author: Kanayan Tamar

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Dec 23 2011

Is the French bill hate speech regulation?

Advocates of the bill to criminalize the denial of the Armenian
`genocide’ introduced to the French Assemblee Nationale presume that
it intends to approximate the French criminal law provisions as
required by the EU Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA of Nov. 28, 2008 on
combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by
means of criminal law.

The Framework Decision directly refers to the crimes of genocide
committed against the Jews during World War II and mandates that
speech acts that deny, minimize or trivialize the Holocaust crimes
defined by the Nuremberg Tribunal Article 6 of the Charter of the
International Military Tribunal (London Agreement of 1945) be
criminalized and punished.

The approximation of the national criminal law provisions should help
to combat racist and xenophobic offenses more effectively by promoting
a full and effective judicial cooperation between member states. It
is, however, doubtful whether the criminalization of the denial of the
Armenian `genocide’ will help to reduce racial, religious or ethnic
hatred in French society.

Those speaking on behalf of the Armenian community in France have been
trying, to no avail, to extend directly or indirectly the scope of the
Gayssot Act to the 1915 massacres. The Gayssot Act enacted on July 13,
1990 makes it an offense in France to question the existence or size
of the category of crimes against humanity committed against the Jews
in World War II. A first attempt took place in 2003. On Oct. 12, 2006
the Assemblee Nationale voted the law but it has never been brought on
the agenda of the Senate. More recently the Senate rejected a similar
bill May 4, 2011.

Armenians in France are perfectly well integrated into French society
and are not facing any form of discrimination comparable to what
resulted from anti-Semitism. It is generally questionable whether a
legislative body should be allowed to look beyond the walls of its own
society: Its focus should be on the historical accounts of ethnic,
racial and religious violence, genocide and discriminatory practices
that have occurred within the jurisdiction of the state in which it
operates. On the European continent, a society’s treatment of its Jews
has become throughout history a paradigm for how it will treat all
minorities.

In 2006, a group of 56 law professors at French universities had
questioned seriously the constitutionality of memorial laws which
infringe upon freedom of expression, of conducting historical research
and being based on a community-based approach violate the principles
of equality as defined in the French Constitution. Furthermore, such
kind of legislation impedes the process by which history is recorded
by a society and undermines the strength of the evidence in the
historical record. Renowned historian Pierre Vidal-Naquet, who lost
his parents in Auschwitz, and the French Holocaust survivor,
politician and lawyer Simone Veil opposed the Gayssot Act. Back in
2006 Hrant Dink opposed the law brought to French Parliament and
publicly said he would be the first to go and deny it on French soil.

A robust debate about what really happened in 1915 is warranted. The
realization of history blurs the evidence of the facts of the
accounts: Freedom of speech has to be encouraged and research in
history emancipated from politics. It should make much more sense from
a French-Armenian perspective to bring the issue of the regulation of
hate speech to the agenda of the Turkish government.

Burcu Gültekin Punsmann is a senior foreign policy analyst at TEPAV.
December/23/2011

Turkish Press
Dec 23 2011

Turkey cuts contacts with France over bill

Published: 12/23/2011

Turkey announced it cancelled bilateral military and economic
cooperation and suspended all bilateral political consultation with
France, describing the French vote as doing politics via racism and
xenophobia ahead of presidential elections. `This is the first state
[of measures against France]. New measures could be brought to the
agenda and implemented according to progress of the bill in France,’
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday in a joint press
conference with his Ukrainian counterpart.

Erdogan blamed the French leader of trying to `gain favor over
Turcophobia and Islamophobia in general terms just for individual
ambitions.’ The prime minister said they would travel to other
countries in the world and tell of the `genocides’ carried out by
France, which the country had tried to make forgotten. As a reaction
to Paris’ vote, Erdogan said Turkey recalled its ambassador to France.
`From now on, we cancel all bilateral military and economic visits,
including courses, seminars and personnel exchange activities,’
Erdogan said. Turkey would not cooperate with France in projects of
the EU, he said. Ankara suspended all political consultations and
cancelled bilateral military activities and joint military exercises,
he said. Turkey also cancelled blanket permission for flyovers,
takeoffs and landings of French military flights, Turkey’s premier
said, but individual permission would be applied. Erdogan announced
Turkey cancelled permissions of port visits by military ships. Turkey
would not participate in a bilateral economic and trade partnership
meeting in 2012, he said. The prime minister thanked prudent French
politicians who rejected the bill. `We hope they would not go a way
with no return,’ he said.

TURKEY CONDEMNS APPROVAL OF GENOCIDE BILL BY FRENCH PARLIAMENT

Turkey has strongly condemned the approval of a bill criminalizing the
denial of alleged Armenian genocide at the French National Assembly
yesterday. A statement released by Turkish Foreign Ministry said that
the initiative defamed Turkish history on the basis of one-sided
interpretations and aimed to deprive Turkey from its right to defend
itself against this injustice. The statement described it as an unjust
and inappropriate bill which contradicted relevant rules of the
international law, adding that it is extremely unfortunate that such a
serious issue is abused for electoral purposes in spite of all the
demarches, friendly and constructive warnings conveyed to France, as
well as promises previously received. “This bill constitutes a grave
example of politicization of history for the sake of narrow political
calculations and stifling of freedom of expression by a democratic
institution. France has thus preferred to ignore the universal values
which it had a share in developing,” the statement said. The statement
stressed that the bill restricted freedom of expression of all
scholars and researchers researching the historical events from
different perspectives, adding that it contradicts the international
law, European norms, the reports of the French Parliament itself and
the earlier official declarations made by French government on the
issue.

FLAUTRE CRITICIZES FRENCH BILL

Helene Flautre, Co-chair of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary
Committee, defined the bill penalizing denial of Armenian ‘`genocide,’
which was approved by French assembly yesterday, as `disgusting.’
Flautre described the move displayed by French President Nicolas
Sarkozy as a `simple maneuver towards the elections,’ adding, `I’m
quite angry with Sarkozy and his government. They are using people’s
sorrows in order to be elected.’ Reiterating that France is against
Turkey’s EU membership, Flautre said that Sarkozy had a `hostile
attitude’ against Turkey. `None of the countries, particularly
France, is in a position to give history lesson to another country,’
adding, `Turkey is at the stage of taking steps to face its own
history. An atmosphere allowing everybody to express his opinion is
necessary towards this end. This resolution will hinder this. When the
bill was previously discussed in France, Hrant Dink said to me that he
would deny the genocide at the Concorde Square. He was protecting
freedom of thought and expression. Now I understand him better.’
Flautre further stated that history should not be judged by
politicians, but by academics and historians.

PIERINI EXPRESSES CONCERNS OVER FRENCH BILL

While the bill penalizing denial of alleged Armenian genocide was
being voted at French Parliament, Marc Pierini, Head of Delegation of
the European Union to Turkey, said that history should not be
rewritten by national parliaments. `As an EU diplomat, I cannot
comment on the bill which is currently being voted. I hope this
situation won’t affect relations between Turkey and the EU,’ Pierini
said prior to his farewell visit to EU Minister and Chief Negotiator
Egemen Bagis on the occasion of completing his five-year term of
office in Turkey.123 TURKEY CUTS CONTACTS WITH FRANCE OVER BILL

Turkey announced it cancelled bilateral military and economic
cooperation and suspended all bilateral political consultation with
France, describing the French vote as doing politics via racism and
xenophobia ahead of presidential elections. `This is the first state
[of measures against France]. New measures could be brought to the
agenda and implemented according to progress of the bill in France,’
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday in a joint press
conference with his Ukrainian counterpart. Erdogan blamed the French
leader of trying to `gain favor over Turcophobia and Islamophobia in
general terms just for individual ambitions.’ The prime minister said
they would travel to other countries in the world and tell of the
`genocides’ carried out by France, which the country had tried to
make forgotten. As a reaction to Paris’ vote, Erdogan said Turkey
recalled its ambassador to France. `From now on, we cancel all
bilateral military and economic visits, including courses, seminars
and personnel exchange activities,’ Erdogan said. Turkey would not
cooperate with France in projects of the EU, he said. Ankara suspended
all political consultations and cancelled bilateral military
activities and joint military exercises, he said. Turkey also
cancelled blanket permission for flyovers, takeoffs and landings of
French military flights, Turkey’s premier said, but individual
permission would be applied. Erdogan announced Turkey cancelled
permissions of port visits by military ships. Turkey would not
participate in a bilateral economic and trade partnership meeting in
2012, he said. The prime minister thanked prudent French politicians
who rejected the bill. `We hope they would not go a way with no
return,’ he said.

PARIS UNDER FIRE FOR ITS APPROVAL OF GENOCIDE DENIAL BILL

Today’s Zaman

Dec 23 2011
Turkey

Criticisms and reactions have rained down on France in the wake of
a vote in the French Parliament on Thursday that made it a crime to
deny that the World War I-era mass killings of Armenians was genocide,
with many accusing the country of greatly damaging its commitment to
freedom of speech and acting with political motivations.

Despite strong protests by Turkey, French lawmakers in the National
Assembly — the lower house of parliament — voted overwhelmingly in
favor of the bill, which will now be debated next year in the senate.

The bill makes denial of the alleged Armenian genocide a crime
punishable by a one-year prison sentence and a fine of 45,000 euros.

Hélène Flautre, the co-chairperson of the EU-Turkey Joint
Parliamentary Committee, slammed the French genocide law as being not
“useful” and said the law came into being as a result of political
motivations. “It is not a useful law. It is a result of the pressure
of an internal political agenda in the context of presidential
elections. It is a waste of time, and it will put in danger the
work of intellectuals in particular in Turkey,” she said. She said
she strongly disagrees with the French National Assembly and to pass
judgment on history is the job of academics and historians, not that
of political institutions.

“I always have in mind what the late [Turkish-Armenian journalist]
Hrant Dink used to say. As a Turkish-Armenian who believed in the
genocide, he used to say that he would go to Paris and deny the
Armenian genocide if the French parliament would accept it. It is
purely an electoral and mediatic coup,” she said. Flautre still voiced
her hope that the law would not be adopted in the French senate.

“It still needs to go through the senate and be signed by the
president. I have colleagues in the French senate who are trying to
block it. We will see. The battle is not over yet,” she said. Another
reaction to the French law from the European Parliament was voiced
by European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) President and
EP member Graham Watson. Watson criticized the French genocide law,
saying it is a violation of freedom of speech and will make France
regret its passage in the future. “I am not sure criminalizing
identification with certain events that are often very difficult to
prove historically is a good way forward. If you are Germany, you
wish to criminalize praise of the Holocaust, of course. Everybody
understands. We managed to avoid such actions in Britain, partly
because it is against freedom of expression but also something that
limits academic debate. I suspect the French may come to regret such
a decision. This is not a matter of criminal law but of historians,”
Watson told Today’s Zaman.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) also
expressed concerns on the approval of the French law on Thursday. OSCE
Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic said: “I
fully acknowledge the humanitarian intentions of those members of the
National Assembly who authored and supported this proposal. However,
I believe that the final adoption of these legal amendments would
raise serious concerns with regard to international standards of
freedom of expression.”

“Furthermore, it could set a precedent internationally for politically
construed, ad-hoc criminalization of public debates. Criminalization
of debates on history’s true course, even of obviously false and
offensive statements about a nation’s tragic moment, is not conducive
to a better understanding among people, communities and authorities
of OSCE participating states.”

Mijatovic also said she feared the passing of this law by a nation
with a great history of press freedom might prompt other countries in
the OSCE region to follow France’s example and similarly criminalize
historical statements in violation of their OSCE commitments that
aim at encouraging a free discussion on issues of public interest.

Mijatovic said she hoped the French senate would defeat the bill.

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Ekmeleddin
Ä°hsanoglu also directed harsh criticisms at France over its approval
of the genocide bill, calling it “nonsense.”

Ä°hsanoglu said France was in a “paradoxical contradiction,”
championing freedom of expression on the one hand while passing
legislation to ban debate on a “claim regarding history.” “The OIC
rejects this nonsense,” Ä°hsanoglu told the Anatolia news agency
on the sidelines of an OIC meeting in Ä°stanbul on Friday. “There
are three principles at the core of the French Republic: liberty,
equality and fraternity. To me, this legislation inflicts harm on
at least two of them.” Ä°hsanoglu also lambasted what he called an
“unacceptable contradiction” in Europe over freedom of expression,
saying caricatures insulting the Prophet Muhammad are defended in the
name of free speech while such a bill could be enacted in the French
parliament. “When you criticize those who insult others, our Prophet
and sacred values, we are told that this is freedom of expression.

When someone draws uncivilized caricatures about our most sacred
values, no punishment is considered because they say it is an issue of
freedom of expression. Now, the same people who defend these [insults
and caricatures] pass a bill to punish those who do not accept this
claim about history,” Ä°hsanoglu said. “This is undisputedly an
unacceptable contradiction.”

Scientists, not parliaments, can write history, says Lewy Professor
Guenter Lewy, author, political scientist and professor emeritus
at the University of Massachusetts, said the French parliament has
no right to judge history. Lewy, author of “The Armenian Massacres
in Ottoman Turkey: A Disputed Genocide,” said historians — not the
French parliament — can write the history. He said the French made
a big mistake by passing such a law because there is no legal ground
for the Armenian genocide. In a telephone interview with Today’s
Zaman, Lewy said he has devoted 52 years of his life to studying
genocide and came up with the conclusion that the incidents of 1915
are not tantamount to genocide. He said history can be written with
the consensus of scientists and documents, not through the decisions
of parliaments. Some Armenians and others say 1.5 million Anatolian
Armenians were killed in a systematic campaign of genocide during
World War I. Turkey says the figures are inflated and insists that the
killings occurred as the Ottoman Empire was trying to quell an uprising
of Armenians, who revolted against Ottoman rule for independence,
in collaboration with the Russian army, which was then invading
Eastern Anatolia.

Renowned French photographer Eric Bouvet described the genocide law
as a game for French politicians, while adding that the French public
actually does not care much about Armenians.

He said the only thing French people know about Armenians is the word
“Aznavour,” and the genocide bill is the work of a French minority
who are under the influence of the Armenian diaspora.

Andreas Trampe, a photo editor at the well-known German magazine Stern,
also said it is wrong to judge a nation by its past. He said Germans
are not very interested in the Armenian issue, and if there is a need
to confront history, countries should do this themselves.

SARKOZY DEFENDS VOTE, CALLS ON TURKEY TO RESPECT FRENCH VIEWS

Today’s Zaman
Dec 23 2011
Turkey

French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged Turkey on Friday to respect
its views after Ankara suspended political and economic contact with
Paris in protest of a bill passed by the French parliament Thursday
that criminalizes denial of Armenian genocide claims.

“I respect [the] beliefs of our Turkish friends. Turkey is a great
country, great civilization, but the Turks should also respect our
beliefs,” Sarkozy told the French press on the sidelines of a funeral
for former Czech President Vaclav Havel in Prague. His remarks were
published in Turkish by the Anatolia news agency.

“France does not teach anyone a lesson, but it does not want to
be taught a lesson either. France sets its policies in a sovereign
matter,” he added, asserting that his country does not need permission
from other states when deciding its policies. “France has beliefs
and respect for human rights, memories,” he said.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in his Twitter feed
on Friday that Turkey has respect to beliefs but he added that it
is backward to turn historical interpretations and intellectual
discussions into dogmatic belief.

Turkey categorically rejects charges of genocide, saying deaths
occurred on both sides when Anatolian Armenians revolted against the
Ottoman Empire for independence during World War I in collaboration
with the invading Russian army. Turkish leaders vowed to bring to the
fore French atrocities in Algeria and other countries on international
platforms after Thursday’s vote.

Turkey is already frustrated with Sarkozy because of his staunch
opposition to its stalled European Union bid and his apparent rivalry
with Turkey for a preeminent role in Middle Eastern politics.

TURKEY’S ERDOGAN: FRENCH VOTE REVEALS GRAVITY OF HOSTILITY TOWARDS MUSLIMS

Today’s Zaman

Dec 23 2011
Turkey

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Thursday’s French
vote on a bill that criminalizes the denial of the 1915 mass killing
of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide has clearly revealed the
gravity of hostility against Muslims in France and Europe.

“The vote in France, where there are nearly 5 million Muslims, clearly
showed that the extent of racism, discrimination and anti-Muslims
sentiments has reached dangerous levels,” Erdogan said on Friday
at a conference on “Change in Muslim Societies and Role of Women”
in Ä°stanbul.

Accusing French President Nicolas Sarkozy of “trying to win [April’s
presidential] elections over hostility towards Turks and Muslims,”
Erdogan said Thursday’s vote is meaningful in that the bill was
approved with only 55 lawmakers in attendance, out of 577 in total.

“Mr. Sarkozy cannot find genocide in the history of Turkey. Once he
looks into Turkish history, he cannot find anything other than Turks’
tolerance, help and compassion,” Erdogan said.

The Turkish prime minister also read excerpts from a 1526 letter sent
by Ottoman Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent to French King Francis I
in response to the French king’s request for help after being captured
by the Spanish King Charles V during the Battle of Pavia. The Ottoman
sultan said in the letter he would help the French king.

Erdogan said he had earlier presented a copy of Suleyman’s letter to
Sarkozy. “I think he did not read it.”

Erdogan also accused Paris of committing “genocide” in Algeria,
a former colony. “France massacred an estimated 15 percent of the
Algerian population starting from 1945. This is genocide,” he said.

“They were mercilessly martyred,” he said, adding that Algerians were
burned in ovens.

Erdogan also said President Sarkozy’s father might have direct
knowledge about the French “massacres” in Algeria.

“If the French president, Mr. Sarkozy, doesn’t know about this genocide
he should go and ask his father, Paul Sarkozy.”

“His father served in the French Legion in Algeria in the 1940s. I
am sure he would have lots to tell his son about the French massacres
in Algeria,” the Turkish premier said.

French legislators passed a bill making it a crime to deny that the
mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago
constituted genocide despite Turkish opposition.

The bill drew strong criticism from Turkey, which denies the genocide
label and insists the 1915 massacres occurred during civil unrest as
the Ottoman Empire collapsed, with losses on both sides.

The French bill still needs Senate approval.

Opposition supports sanctions against France Meanwhile, Turkey’s main
opposition party has also pledged full support to the government
in its campaign against France. Republican People’s Party (CHP)
leader Kemal Kılıcdaroglu said on Friday that his party sees the
issue as a “national problem” and will act in cooperation with the
government on this matter. “France should get rid of this shame,”
he said referring to the bill.

He said he voiced his support on measures against France during a
visit he paid to Erdogan on Wednesday.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : UN PEU ELECTORALISTE DE S’EN OCCUPER MAINTENANT
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 22 decembre 2011

Faire “maintenant” la proposition de loi condamnant la negation
du genocide armenien relève de “la volonte personnelle” de Nicolas
Sarkozy, a juge mercredi Pierre Moscovici (PS), directeur de campagne
de Francois Hollande, Bruno Le Roux evoquant “un peu d’electoralisme”.

“Le groupe socialiste fera son devoir et votera le texte. En meme
temps, c’est la responsabilite de l’UMP, du gouvernement et la volonte
personnelle de Nicolas Sarkozy que de le faire maintenant”, a-t-il
souligne dans les couloirs de l’Assemblee.

Affirmant que “chacun sait que cette decision a ete prise a l’Elysee
par Nicolas Sarkozy, prise, paraît-il, de surcroît contre Francois
Fillon et Alain Juppe”, M. Moscovici a juge que le chef de l’Etat
“doit assumer totalement cette position”.

Les socialistes, a poursuivi le depute du Doubs, sont “très clairs” et
ont “une position constante : la reconnaissance du genocide armenien”
mais sont aussi “partisans de l’amitie avec la Turquie, qui a ete
tenue en hostilite par Nicolas Sarkozy”.

De son côte, Bruno Le Roux, l’un des quatre porte-parole de Francois
Hollande, a note que le PS avait “aux moments qui n’etaient pas des
echeances electorales fait voter d’abord la reconnaissance du genocide
de 1915, ensuite la penalisation” et voterait la proposition de loi
“parce qu’elle vise a terminer la sequence de reconnaissance du
genocide armenien”.

“C’est vrai que Nicolas Sarkozy avait pris des engagements il
y a maintenant quatre ans, avant sa campagne electorale, et des
engagements qu’une fois de plus il n’a pas tenus. Alors il essaye
une seance de rattrapage de dernière minute, en passant une nouvelle
fois en force. On a la l’illustration de la methode du president de
la Republique : je ne tiens pas mes engagements, et, a la dernière
minute, j’essaye de faire un peu d’electoralisme pour voir si les
choses peuvent se regler comme ca”, a-t-il fustige.

L’EDITO DE CATHERINE NEY SUR EUROPE 1
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
jeudi 22 decembre 2011

Ce matin dans son editorial (Europe 1), Catherine Ney est revenue sur
la proposition de loi, examinee ce jour a l’Assemblee nationale, par
la depute Valerie Boyer, visant a penaliser la negation de tous les
genocides reconnus par la France, dont celui des armeniens. Bernard
Debre s’est quant a lui dit contre la proposition, meme s’il ne revient
pas sur la realite du genocide des Armeniens. Pour Robert Badinter,
comprenant “la douleur des armeniens”, celui-ci trouve que ce n’est
pas la place du Parlement de legiferer sur la question.

Francois Bayrou s’est egalement exprime. Pour lui cette initiative
n’est “pas raisonnable”. Ce n’est pas a la loi de dire l’histoire a
la place des historiens.”

Sur RMC, Jean-Jacques Bourdin, a interviewe, en direct d’Istanbul le
directeur d’un etablissement scolaire, auteur, avec ses collègues de
Turquie, d’un texte s’opposant a la proposition de loi. Sur la station,
Frederique Mitterrand a dit “Je ne suis pas très chaud pour les lois
memorielles”. Le genocide est un spectre qui hante l’Europe.

Il rappelle la phrase d’Hitler. La Catastrophe armenienne nous
interpelle a juste titre. Il termine en expliquant en substance qu’il
est necessaire de faire face a son histoire pour un pays qui aspire
a entrer dans l’Union europeenne.

Dès 8h du matin des centaines de manifestants d’origine turque
manifestaient devant l’Assemblee nationale, brandissant des drapeaux
turcs et francais, aux cris de “l’Histoire ne doit pas servir la
politique”.

EN DIRECT DE L’ASSEMBLEE NATIONALE PAR L’ENVOYEE SPECIALE DES NAM
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 22 decembre 2011

L’hemicycle est presque vide. C’est Valerie Boyer qui a ouvert la
seance en rappelant les actes negationnistes dont les Armeniens sont
victimes depuis des annees. Elle a ensuite dit qu’il ne s’agissait pas
d’une loi memorielle mais d’une loi de coordination. Patrick Ollier,
ministre des relations avec le parlement, lui a succede pour expliquer
pourquoi le gouvernement presentait la loi.

Puis, Francois Rochebloine dans une intervention de dix minutes
a explique qu’il s’agissait d’une revendication legitime face au
negationnisme systematique de leur histoire. Il rappelle que les
historiens ont dit depuis longtemps qu’il s’agissait d’un genocide
et demande a la Turquie de le reconnaitre. La loi n’est pas ici
pour penaliser la liberte de recherche des universitaires. Elle doit
etre votee car il s’agit de reprimer une atteinte a l’ordre public
democratique ce qui n’est pas possible aujourd’hui. Il conclut en
disant qu’aucune pression ne le ferait flechir et qu’il votera avec
determination la loi.

Puis c’est le communiste Jean-Paul Lecocq qui prend la parole. il
dit que seule la shaoah pour l’instant etait reprimee, or bien que
la France ait reconnu le genocide armenien rien aujourd’hui ne permet
d’en reprimer sa contestation ou sa minimisation. Cette loi concerne
aujourd’hgui les Armeniens, elle pourra demain etre utilisee pour
d’autres genocides.

ambiance

9 h 15 devant le metro assemblee nationale. De jeunes militants turcs,
un drapeau turc autour du cou, distribuent des tracts. A quelques pas
de la, des dizaines de CRS sont postees dans les rues adjacentes. On
sent la temperature monter. Une delegation de Marseilles, avec Didier
Parakian a sa tete marche d’un pas presse vers l’assemblee. Ils ont
l’air assez joyeux.

NEGAR EL GENOCIDIO ARMENIO SERJ TAN GRAVE EN FRANCIA COMO NEGAR EL HOLOCAUSTO

ABC.es

17 dic 2011

La ley impulsada por Sarkozy establece fuertes multas y hasta un año
de carcel para los culpables de “negacionismo”

El partido de Sarkozy ha presentado en la Asamblea francesa un proyecto
de ley que convertira en delito la negacion del genocidio del pueblo
armenio, llevada a cabo por el regimen turco durante los años de la
Primera Guerra Mundial. Según los historiadores, alrededor de un millon
y medio de armenios que vivían en el imperio otomano fueron víctimas de
un plan sistematico de exterminio, siempre negado por el Estado turco.

El proyecto de ley contra el negacionismo armenio sera debatido en
el Parlamento frances el proximo jueves, y pocos dudan de que sera
aprobado. La nueva norma establece hasta un año de prision y multas de
45.000 euros para quienes nieguen que la matanza de armenios a partir
de 1915 no fue un genocidio. Se pone así a la par de la negacion del
holocausto judío durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, penada en Francia
desde 1990.

Retirar su embajador en París Durante una rueda de Prensa en Ankara,
el primer ministro turco, Tayyip Erdogan, critico la ley impulsada
por el gobierno de Sarkozy, y pidio a Francia que “se limite a revisar
su pasado de masacres en Argelia y Ruanda”.

París es una de las capitales mas firmes en la oposicion a que Turquía
entre en la Union Europea por su “deficit democratico”, que no ha
mejorado con el gobierno islamistade Erdogan. Ademas de la oposicion
de Ankara a reconocer el genocidio armenio -la tesis oficial insiste
tozudamente en que los armenios murieron en el contexto de “una guerra
civil” y no por un plan premeditado de exterminio-, Francia subraya la
represion por parte del regimen turco de otras minorías como la kurda.

Fuentes del gobierno turco han advertido que Ankara podría retirar a
su embajador en París si la ley del negacionismo armenio es finalmente
aprobada.

TURKEY CONDEMNS APPROVAL OF GENOCIDE BILL BY FRENCH PARLIAMENT

Today’s Zaman
Dec 22 2011
Turkey

Turkey has strongly condemned the approval of a bill that criminalise
the denial of genocide, including the 1915 mass killing of Armenians
by Ottoman Turks.

Lawmakers in France’s National Assembly – the lower house of parliament
– voted overwhelmingly in favour of a draft law outlawing genocide
denial, which will be debated next year in the Senate.

“The initiative defames Turkish history on the basis of one-sided
interpretations and aims to deprive us from our right to defend
ourselves against this injustice,” a statement released by
Turkish Foreign Ministry on Thursday said. It is also unjust, the
statement continued, inappropriate and contradicts relevant rules of
international law.

The statement added that it is extremely unfortunate that such a
serious issue is abused for electoral purposes in spite of all the
demarches, friendly and constructive warnings conveyed to France,
as well as promises previously received.

France passed a law recognizing the killing of Armenians as genocide
in 2001. The French lower house first passed a bill criminalizing
the denial of an Armenian genocide in 2006, but it was rejected by
the Senate in May this year.

The latest draft law was made more general to outlaw the denial of
any genocide, partly in the hope of appeasing Turkey.

It could still face a long passage into law, though its backers want
to see it completed before parliament is suspended at the end of
February ahead of elections in the second quarter.

It said the introduction of criminal sanctions to the 2001 law
paved the way for even more negative consequences, adding that such
parliamentary acts were problematic not only politically but also
legally and morally.

“This bill constitutes a grave example of politicization of history
on account of narrow political calculations and stifling of freedom
of expression by a democratic institution. France has thus preferred
to ignore the universal values which it had a share in developing,”
the statement said.

The statement stressed that the bill restricts freedom of expression
of all scholars and researchers looking at historical events from
different perspectives, adding that it contradicts the international
law, European norms, the reports of the French Parliament itself
and the earlier official declarations of the French government on
the issue.