Clearday-TRForce
10-12-2006, 07:12 AM
BBC
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France to vote on 'genocide' law
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42190000/jpg/_42190046_turks.jpg
The French bill has brought strong protests in Turkey
The French parliament is due to vote on a law that would make it a crime to deny that Turkey perpetrated a genocide against Armenians in 1915-17.
Turkey says the law could seriously damage bilateral relations and French businesses fear a trade backlash.
Armenia says Ottoman Turks killed some 1.5m people in a systematic massacre, a claim strongly denied by Turkey.
The law would establish a one-year prison term and 45,000-euro ($56,400) fine for those denying genocide.
Free vote
Turkey has been warning France for weeks not to pass the bill.
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Wednesday: "If this bill is passed, Turkey will not lose anything but France will lose Turkey. [France] will turn into a country that jails people who express their views."
The vote, in the lower house of the French parliament on Thursday morning, has been sponsored by the opposition Socialist party.
The ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) is not backing the law, but has given its deputies a free vote, and analysts say it is likely to pass.
The law would still need the backing of the upper house and President Jacques Chirac, but French businesses are already fearing a backlash in trade with Turkey.
EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said the bill was "counterproductive".
EU membership bid
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 Turkey's membership bid.
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.
France's President Chirac and Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy have both said Turkey will have to change that position and recognise the Armenian deaths as genocide before it joins the EU.
Turks argue that while the EU is pressuring Turkey to improve its legislation to ensure full freedom of speech France seems to be moving in the opposite direction.
Turkey's parliament is now considering a law that would make it a crime to deny French killings in Algeria in 1945 as genocide.
But Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan objected, saying: "We are not like those who clean dirt with dirt."
France has about 500,000 people of Armenian descent - thought to be the largest Armenian immigrant community in western Europe.
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.
The Socialist MP and former minister Jack Lang helped to draft an existing French law which recognises that Armenians suffered genocide in Turkey.
But he told the BBC's World Today programme that the new bill was unnecessary.
"I cannot give my vote to a completely stupid law which will punish somebody who expressed free judgement concerning historical facts. It's not acceptable.
"We have to help Turkey to accept, progressively, what was history. I think that this provocation of the French parliament will not help the consciousness in Turkey," he said.
BBC
France warned over 'genocide' law
A top EU official has urged France not to push ahead with a bill which he says could sour relations between the EU and aspiring member Turkey.
French MPs are due to discuss the bill - which would make it a crime to deny that Turkey perpetrated a genocide against Armenians - on Thursday.
Turkey's foreign minister threatened economic sanctions against France if the bill succeeds.
EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said the bill was "counterproductive".
Mr Rehn warned that the adoption of the draft law would have very severe consequences for discussion of the Armenian question, saying "instead of opening, it will lock the debate in Turkey".
He said nothing was achieved by an ultimatum, and called instead for an open dialogue in Turkey itself, and between Turkey and neighbouring Armenia.
The two countries have a common border, but no diplomatic relations.
Armenians say the Ottoman Turks killed as many as 1.5 million Armenians in a planned genocide in 1915, during World War I.
The Turkish government strongly denies the allegations of genocide, saying many Armenians and Turks died in a conflict raging at that time.
EU entry
Turkish activists protested outside the French consulate in Istanbul on Sunday, while Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared the issue was "none of France's business".
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul warned France could be barred from business projects in Turkey if the bill succeeded. "The French will lose Turkey," he said.
Mr Rehn made clear that recognition of the killings as genocide was not a condition for EU entry.
However French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said he thought it should be.
He also told France Inter radio that Turkey must meet three conditions for the bill to be dropped, Reuters news agency reported.
He called for a bilateral commission between Armenia and Turkey to discuss their history; for Turkey to reopen its borders with Armenia; and for Ankara to allow discussion of the "genocide" within Turkey.
The bill could be supported by French politicians looking to curry favour with France's large Armenian community, says the BBC's Oana Lungescu in Brussels.
But Mr Sarkozy - who has opposed the idea of Turkey's accession to the EU - has also been accused of trying to stir up anti-Turkish sentiment just as the EU is considering Ankara's progress on harmonisation.
BBC
regards,
CDTRF
http://xs107.xs.to/xs107/06414/screencdtrf.jpg.xs.jpg (http://xs.to/xs.php?h=xs107&d=06414&f=screencdtrf.jpg)
France to vote on 'genocide' law
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42190000/jpg/_42190046_turks.jpg
The French bill has brought strong protests in Turkey
The French parliament is due to vote on a law that would make it a crime to deny that Turkey perpetrated a genocide against Armenians in 1915-17.
Turkey says the law could seriously damage bilateral relations and French businesses fear a trade backlash.
Armenia says Ottoman Turks killed some 1.5m people in a systematic massacre, a claim strongly denied by Turkey.
The law would establish a one-year prison term and 45,000-euro ($56,400) fine for those denying genocide.
Free vote
Turkey has been warning France for weeks not to pass the bill.
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Wednesday: "If this bill is passed, Turkey will not lose anything but France will lose Turkey. [France] will turn into a country that jails people who express their views."
The vote, in the lower house of the French parliament on Thursday morning, has been sponsored by the opposition Socialist party.
The ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) is not backing the law, but has given its deputies a free vote, and analysts say it is likely to pass.
The law would still need the backing of the upper house and President Jacques Chirac, but French businesses are already fearing a backlash in trade with Turkey.
EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said the bill was "counterproductive".
EU membership bid
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 Turkey's membership bid.
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.
France's President Chirac and Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy have both said Turkey will have to change that position and recognise the Armenian deaths as genocide before it joins the EU.
Turks argue that while the EU is pressuring Turkey to improve its legislation to ensure full freedom of speech France seems to be moving in the opposite direction.
Turkey's parliament is now considering a law that would make it a crime to deny French killings in Algeria in 1945 as genocide.
But Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan objected, saying: "We are not like those who clean dirt with dirt."
France has about 500,000 people of Armenian descent - thought to be the largest Armenian immigrant community in western Europe.
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.
The Socialist MP and former minister Jack Lang helped to draft an existing French law which recognises that Armenians suffered genocide in Turkey.
But he told the BBC's World Today programme that the new bill was unnecessary.
"I cannot give my vote to a completely stupid law which will punish somebody who expressed free judgement concerning historical facts. It's not acceptable.
"We have to help Turkey to accept, progressively, what was history. I think that this provocation of the French parliament will not help the consciousness in Turkey," he said.
BBC
France warned over 'genocide' law
A top EU official has urged France not to push ahead with a bill which he says could sour relations between the EU and aspiring member Turkey.
French MPs are due to discuss the bill - which would make it a crime to deny that Turkey perpetrated a genocide against Armenians - on Thursday.
Turkey's foreign minister threatened economic sanctions against France if the bill succeeds.
EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said the bill was "counterproductive".
Mr Rehn warned that the adoption of the draft law would have very severe consequences for discussion of the Armenian question, saying "instead of opening, it will lock the debate in Turkey".
He said nothing was achieved by an ultimatum, and called instead for an open dialogue in Turkey itself, and between Turkey and neighbouring Armenia.
The two countries have a common border, but no diplomatic relations.
Armenians say the Ottoman Turks killed as many as 1.5 million Armenians in a planned genocide in 1915, during World War I.
The Turkish government strongly denies the allegations of genocide, saying many Armenians and Turks died in a conflict raging at that time.
EU entry
Turkish activists protested outside the French consulate in Istanbul on Sunday, while Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared the issue was "none of France's business".
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul warned France could be barred from business projects in Turkey if the bill succeeded. "The French will lose Turkey," he said.
Mr Rehn made clear that recognition of the killings as genocide was not a condition for EU entry.
However French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said he thought it should be.
He also told France Inter radio that Turkey must meet three conditions for the bill to be dropped, Reuters news agency reported.
He called for a bilateral commission between Armenia and Turkey to discuss their history; for Turkey to reopen its borders with Armenia; and for Ankara to allow discussion of the "genocide" within Turkey.
The bill could be supported by French politicians looking to curry favour with France's large Armenian community, says the BBC's Oana Lungescu in Brussels.
But Mr Sarkozy - who has opposed the idea of Turkey's accession to the EU - has also been accused of trying to stir up anti-Turkish sentiment just as the EU is considering Ankara's progress on harmonisation.
BBC
regards,
CDTRF