EVERYBODY HAS TO ACCEPT ARMENIAN CLAIMS IN FRANCE
By Mehtap Duztutar
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Oct 12 2006
~U The French parliament has unilateraly adopted a bill making it a
crime to reject the Armenian claims. There is no document prooving
Armenian claims
~U If the bill becomes law, no Turkish or French could defend the
Turkish approach in the Armenian Issue.
~U The bill carries up to one year of imprisonment and a 45,000 Euro
penalty for denying so-called Armenian genocide.
~U It passed by 106 votes to 19.
~U Ankara believes the issue is being used to whip up French sentiment
against Turkish entry into the EU.

FRENCH LOWER HOUSE APPROVES ARMENIA GENOCIDE BILL
Xinhua, China
Oct 12 2006
PARIS, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) — The French lower house of parliament on
Thursday adopted a bill that would make it a crime to deny that the
World War I massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks was genocide.
According to the legislation that was carried by 106 votes to 19,
anyone denying the genocide would be sentenced to one year in prison
and ordered to pay a 45,000-euro (56,570 U.S. dollars) fine.
To become law, the bill still needs the approval of both the upper
house Senate and the French president.
But Turkey has warned that the bill would damage ties between the two
countries, and threatened economic revenge against France if the bill
become law.
“If this draft law is approved, Turkey will lose nothing but France
will … lose Turkey,” Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said in
televised comments late on Wednesday.
Ankara denied it was to blame for the genocide of around 1.5 million
Armenians during the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire in World
War I, arguing that it was part of general fighting in which both
sides suffered.
Although the French government considered that it was up to historians
not parliament to judge the past, the ruling Union for a Popular
Movement (UMP) gave its lawmakers a free hand in the vote, which
ensured the passing of the bill.
Later in the day, the European Commission criticized the bill, saying
it could harm reconciliation efforts.

ROMANIAN PRESIDENT: ROMANIA READY TO ASSIST TO ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJAN CONFLICT SETTLEMENT WITHIN INTERNATIONAL LEGAL NORMS
Author: S. Aghayeva
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Oct 12 2006
Romania is ready to render it assistance in the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict settlement within international legal norms, Romania`s
President Traian Besesku told today during the ceremony of presentation
of the Honourary Doctor of the Baku State University to him, Trend
reports referring to “Lider TV”.
Addressing the teachers and professors of the university, the Romanian
President highly appreciated cooperation between the two countries. He
informed the participants of the meeting about priorities of the
Romanian policy. According to him, it is aimed at cooperation with
the Caspian and Black Sea regions. He called Azerbaijan a state
with the highest potential in the region. “Romania ensures Europe`s
energy security and is rich in energy resources, but, nevertheless,
Azerbaijan`s energy reserves and their transit to Europe are of a
great importance to us”, told the Romanian President.
He also marked Azerbaijan`s achievements the country reached in the
sphere of energy security.
The Romanian President also underlined the importance of establishment
of peace and stability in the region and the conflicts settlement.
Mr. Basesku also visited the Heydar Aliyev Fund today where he got
acquainted with the activity of National Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar
Aliyev.

GUL: “PASSING THE BILL WOULD DO HARM TO FRANCE”
Turkish Press
Oct 12 2006
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that if the French
Parliament passes the Armenian bill, France would lose not only Turkey
but also much else besides. Speaking to reporters after meeting with
Bahamian Foreign Minister Frederick Audley, Gul said that Ankara
had done its best to warn France of the negative consequences of
its passing the bill. Stressing that everybody from politicians to
businessmen from large sectors of society had tired to prevent this
misguided move, Gul said he hoped that France would not harm itself
for the sake of domestic politics.

EUROPE’S ENLARGEMENT COMMISSIONER HAS DENOUNCED THE BILL
EuroNews
Oct 12 2006
This comes barely six months before French elections and amid a climate
of strong French voter opposition to Turkey’s potential future EU
entry. France’s Armenian community numbers around 500,000.
President Jacques Chirac at a commemoration ceremony recently said
he believes Turkish acceptance of the country’s role in the deaths
ought to be a condition for its European Union membership.
When these negotiations began a year ago, it was not a pre-condition.
Chirac said all countries grow by coming to terms with their dramas
and errors. EU enlargement spokesperson Krisztina Nagy, in Brussels
made the European stance clear: “For the concrete framework for the
negotiations with Turkey, the European Council has taken a decision,
and this decision does not include the recognition of the Armenian
genocide as a criterion for accession for Turkey.” The European
Commission warned France that it could hinder efforts to end decades
of dispute over the killings. Nagy said: “It is not up to law to
write history.”

18 COUNTRIES ACCEPTED ‘GENOCIDE’ IN 41 YEARS
By Suleyman Kurt, Ankara
Zaman Online, Turkey
Oct 12 2006
Parliaments of foreign countries began to recognize the so-called
Armenian genocide 41 years ago.
To date, 18 parliaments have recognized the events of 1915 as genocide
since 1965. The number of parliaments taking a stance on this issue
increased dramatically after 2000. According to the evaluations made in
Ankara there are five factors effective in the political decisions of
these parliaments. These are pressure from Armenian minorities in these
countries, hostility against Turkey, Turcophobia or reluctance over
Turkey’s admittance into the European Union, looking for an accomplice
for the genocides they had committed in the past and religious reasons.
The Armenian Diaspora began to carry the events of 1915 on the agenda
of countries in which they live beginning in 1960. The first decision
was taken in 1965 in Uruguay. Following this decision, Southern Cyprus
made a similar decision in 1982, and the number of decisions overall
increased dramatically after 2000. The decisions reached their peak
in 2005, the 90th anniversary of 1915 events.
Armenian Pressure and Turcophobia
The authorities asserted that the decisions made in Uruguay, Russia,
Canada, Lebanon, France, Switzerland, Italy and Venezuela were taken
due to pressure of the Armenian minority population in these countries.
The decisions made in Greece and Southern Cyprus were due to hostility
against Turkey, while it is believed that reluctance over Turkey’s
accession to the European Union lies under the decisions made in Italy
and France. The decisions made in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany,
Switzerland and Poland have similar reasons, religious reasons behind
the Vatican’s decision. The attitudes of Germany, Latvia and Slovakia
are accepted as a struggle to find accomplices for their own crimes
against humanity.
Final Aim: Demanding Land from Turkey The Armenian Diaspora, which
has been the most influential force behind these countries accepting
these decisions, has made demands for Turkey.
* Advertising the “genocide”
* Recognizing the so-called genocide,
* Paying amends to the inheritors of the victims of the “genocide,”
* Giving part of eastern Turkey’s territory to Armenia.
The first decision to recognize the events of 1915 was made in Uruguay
The countries that support the so-called Armenian genocide thesis
are as follows:
Greek Cypriot Administration: April 29, 1982
Greece: April 25, 1996
Belgium: March 26, 1998
Sweden: March 29, 2000
Vatican: 2000
Lebanon: May 11, 2000
France: Jan.18, 2001
Switzerland: Dec. 16, 2003
Canada: 1996, 2000, and April 21, 2004
Slovakia: Nov. 30, 2004
The Netherlands: Dec. 21, 2004
Poland: April 19, 2005
Argentina: 1993, 2003, 3004, 2005
Russia: April 22, 2005
Uruguay: 1965, 2004, May 3, 2005
Venezuela: July 14, 2005
Latvia: Dec. 15, 2005

LE MONDE EDITORIAL ASKS FRENCH DEPUTIES TO REJECT BILL
By Ali Ihsan Aydin, Paris
Zaman Online, Turkey
Oct 12 2006
France’s Le Monde newspaper called on French deputies not to vote for
the Armenian draft bill before the session at the French parliament
today.
In an editorial, the newspaper termed the draft to penalize anyone who
denies the purported Armenian genocide as an “inappropriate discussion”
and said that politicians must not act as ministries of truth.
Before the critical session, Le Monde’s lead editorial column was on
the draft bill submitted by France’s Socialist Party.
Pointing out this initiative divided all political parties within
themselves, the newspaper said the bill would most probably pass but
it would never come to the agenda of the senate, which is the next
step before the bill becomes law.
In the article, it is said the purported Armenian genocide is not
equal to the Jewish genocide and denying the Jewish genocide was a
kind of anti-Semitism that is penalized by the French law as racism.
Le Monde said this had nothing to do with the so-called Armenian
genocide.
Reiterating that the so-called Armenian genocide had no place in the
penal code, Le Monde said “This is the memory work of the Turkish
nation.”
Quoting Nicolas Sarkozy, who supports the bill, the editorial read
“Freedom of expression is not manipulating history nor denying
historical evidence,” Le Monde replied to the ruling party leader
as follows: “Freedom of expression is neither taking the history and
the Armenian case hostage for political goals.”
Addressing the politicians, Le Monde said “We hope deputies will not
vote for this bill and correct this wrong step.”
In the article entitled “L’Armenie en otage” (Armenia in Hostage), it
is stated the bill puts forward a double problem in terms of history
and Turkey knocking at the door of the European Union. The article
handles the following points in summary:
First of all, the view that “history cannot be written down by laws,”
which was settled since the polemic on the law about “the positive
role of the colonization.”
French historians published a manifesto on this.
The bill opposes this consensus approved by President Jacques Chirac.
The other problem is that the bill will be counterproductive in Turkey,
where the alleged genocide has begun to be discussed, which will give
a trump to the nationalists.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA HAS LOST OPPORTUNITY TO BE INVOLVED IN LARGE-SCALE REGIONAL PROJECTS DUE TO ITS UNCONSTRUCTIVE POSITION – AZERI FM
Author: E.Huseynov
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Oct 12 2006
Armenia has lost its opportunity to be involved in large-scale regional
projects due to its uncooperative behavior with regard to talks on
the peaceful solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Foreign
Minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov stated while hosting the
group of British Parliamentarians in Baku, Trendreports with reference
to the Press Service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.
Speaking officially on the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
the Minister emphasized that primarily Armenia should withdraw its
Armed Forces from occupied Azerbaijani territories. International
peace-keeping forces should then be positioned and mine-clearing
activities carried out. Refugees and internally displaced persons
should then be allowed to return to their native land.
Mammadyarov updated the delegates on the co-operation and prospects
of relations with the international organizations including NATO and
the European Union, and the current situation in the region.

IF ONLY GETTING ANGRY WITH FRANCE WERE THE SOLUTION
Abdulhamit Bilici
Zaman Online, Turkey –
Oct 12 2006
The agenda related to the Armenian genocide claim previously had a
routine schedule. Everyone knew that the issue would confront us on
the commemoration day of the genocide claim in April.
As a result of the powerful Armenian lobby’s efforts, the subject
would be put on the agenda of the American Congress. But by putting
its own weight on the American government, Ankara would try and
prevent a dangerous development.
This issue, repeated again and again, had become so trying that it
is said that during Turgut Ozal’s visit to Washington in 1991, he
asked our American ambassador Nuzhet Kandemir if it wouldn’t just be
better to acknowledge the genocide and end the matter. Kandemir is
said to have replied, “Honorable President, this is not a matter to
be resolved hastily. It is necessary to think well and be careful.”
Years have passed since this conversation. Maybe this accusation that
our nation perpetrated genocide is really not an issue to be resolved
hastily, but it’s certain that Turkey hasn’t been able to prevent
it by thinking well. The matter has rapidly gone beyond a routine
calendar date. Due to the impossibility of an early diagnosis being
made, it has spread like cancer. It has become an issue that appears
before us in every month of the year and in almost every place in
the world. Let’s look at the latest examples together:
A case was opened a year ago in Switzerland against Yusuf Halacoglu,
director of the Turkish History Institute, because he said at a meeting
that the events the Armenians experienced in history were not genocide.
Turkish recognition of the genocide claim was put in the latest report
on Turkey by the European Parliament. This was not the first decision
for this institution, but recognition of the genocide claim was put
in the draft report as a precondition for EU membership. The text was
softened a little during the report’s approval process. It was not a
precondition, but there was no change in the request for recognition
of the genocide.
At the same time the genocide claim surfaced in Holland.
Parliamentary candidates of Turkish origin were removed from the
voting lists because they rejected the claims of genocide.
Now we are locked in by a decision the French parliament will
give. A proposal brought forth by the opposition makes it a crime
to “deny the Armenian genocide.” The French government says it is
opposed to this. Optimism continues that if the proposal passes in
the French Congress, it will be stopped by the Senate. Perhaps with
the intervention of the European Union and France not wanting to lose
the Turkish market, this initiative might fall through. However, even
if it is prevented, we shouldn’t neglect this point: It is no longer
being debated whether or not the genocide occurred. The matter has
passed to a more advanced stage. Now the discussion is on whether or
not recognition should be a precondition for EU membership or whether
or not those rejecting genocide should be put in jail.
Consequently, those in responsible positions should finally cease
closing their ears to alarms that have been ringing for a long time.
As we continue to neglect taking up this issue, it doesn’t remain
in the same place. Today what faces our brothers in Holland will
probably confront our history professors tomorrow and our statesmen
the next day. In view of this serious danger, we have to develop
a pro-active political strategy instead of assigning the matter to
historians. It is foremost a political task. Otherwise, we’re going
to have to declare war on a different country each day or boycott
their products. We need to get results in this direction in one or
two events; we can’t close our eyes to our citizens’ walking around
in the world as if they were trying to hide a fault. Enemies will act
with enmity, but we need to question why we haven’t explained our own
case as a nation possessing perhaps the most magnificent history in
the world in regard to tolerance.
As a matter of fact, Professor Sukru Hanioglu, an important name on
the subject of recent history, indicated that the official thesis
of leaving the last word to historians regarding the 1915 Migration
Law and events that followed in its wake didn’t make sense. He wrote
that instead of an unrealistic thesis such as this, which doesn’t
have much chance of being accepted outside of Turkey, Turkish
politicians, in consultation with historians, should develop a new
“political strategy.” (Zaman, 1/20/05) Alarming developments make a
new political strategy more necessary every day.

FRENCH IN ARMENIA ‘GENOCIDE’ ROW
BBC News, UK
Oct 12 2006
Ethnic Armenian campaigners in France hailed the result The French
parliament has adopted a bill making it a crime to deny that Armenians
suffered “genocide” at the hands of the Turks, infuriating Turkey.
The bill, proposed by the Socialists and opposed by the government,
needs approval from the Senate and president.
Turkey called the decision a “serious blow” to relations with France.
It has already threatened economic sanctions.
Armenia says Ottoman Turks killed 1.5 million people systematically
in 1915 – a claim strongly denied by Turkey.
The European Commission has said that the bill, if passed into law,
will “prohibit dialogue which is necessary for reconciliation”
between Turkey and Armenia on the issue.
The opposition against Turkey in the EU has begun to present an
ugly face
Cengiz Candar Turkish commentator
Turkish press divided Send us your comments
Turkey has been warning France for weeks not to pass the bill.
“Turkish-French relations, which have been meticulously developed over
the centuries, took a severe blow today through the irresponsible
initiatives of some short-sighted French politicians, based on
unfounded allegations,” the Turkish foreign ministry said.
Nobel prize
The bill sponsored by the opposition Socialist party provides for a
year in jail and a 45,000-euro (£30,000) fine – the same punishment
that is imposed for denying the Nazi Holocaust.
Q&A: Armenian genocide Turkish writer wins Nobel prize
The ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) did not back the law,
but gave its deputies a free vote.
It passed by 106 votes to 19, after most deputies left the chamber
in protest against what critics say is an attempt to attract votes of
the some 500,000 people of Armenian descent in presidential elections
next year.
Ethnic Armenians in Paris celebrated the result.
“The memory of the victims is finally totally respected,” said Alexis
Govciyan.
But French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin distanced himself
from the bill.
It is “not a good thing to legislate on issues of history and of
memory,” he said.
The vote came as controversial Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk won the
2006 Nobel Prize in Literature.
He has faced prosecution in Turkey for talking about the murder of
hundreds of thousands of Armenians during World War I and thousands
of Kurds in subsequent years.
The charges have since been dropped.
EU membership bid
Debate on the Armenian issue has been stifled in Turkey.
Arguments have raged for decades about the Armenian deaths
The official Turkish position states that many Christian Armenians
and Muslim Turks died in fighting during World War I – but that there
was no genocide.
The BBC’s Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says many Turks are angry
at what they see as double standards in the EU, where opinions are
sharply divided about whether Turkey should be allowed to join.
Turkey’s chief negotiator in EU membership talks, Ali Babacan, said:
“This is violating one of the core principles of the European Union,
which is freedom of expression.”
“Leave history to historians,” he added.
France’s President Chirac and Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy have
both said Turkey will have to recognise the Armenian deaths as genocide
before it joins the EU – though this is not the official EU position.
There are accusations in Turkey that the Armenian diaspora and
opponents of Turkey’s EU membership bid are using this issue to
prevent Turkey joining the 25-member bloc.
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