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Capital daily: Armenian expert says Turkey has no influence on French Senate
11:40 - 06.05.11
In an interview with the Capital daily, Ruben Safrastyan, the director
of the Oriental Studies Institute, comments on the French Senate's
recent decision to reject the bill penalizing the denial of the
Armenian Genocide.
Below is an excerpt from the interview.
"Mr Safrastyan, why do you think the Senate decided to exclude the
Genocide denial criminalization bill from its agenda?"
"I think it was yet another attempt to sacrifice the historical truth,
justice and democratic values to political interests. And such
interests are more than obvious now. France is now seriously involved
in the military operations against Libya, with Turkey being its ally
in the Libyan war. I think this was the major cause behind the Senate
decision"
"Director of the Armenian National Committee of France Hrach
Varzhapetyan told Radio Liberty that the French Senate was obviously
under the Turkish pressure. To what extent is the Turkish lobby strong
in France at present?"
"I don't think the problem was resolved thanks to the Turkish lobby's
activities, so to say. To my mind, it was the top governing circles
(the ruling administration and President Sarkozy), rather than the
Senate that submitted to Turkish pressures. I stick to this viewpoint
because I am sure that Turkey has very few, if any, tools of influence
on the French Senate."
Tert.am
From: A. Papazian
11:40 - 06.05.11
In an interview with the Capital daily, Ruben Safrastyan, the director
of the Oriental Studies Institute, comments on the French Senate's
recent decision to reject the bill penalizing the denial of the
Armenian Genocide.
Below is an excerpt from the interview.
"Mr Safrastyan, why do you think the Senate decided to exclude the
Genocide denial criminalization bill from its agenda?"
"I think it was yet another attempt to sacrifice the historical truth,
justice and democratic values to political interests. And such
interests are more than obvious now. France is now seriously involved
in the military operations against Libya, with Turkey being its ally
in the Libyan war. I think this was the major cause behind the Senate
decision"
"Director of the Armenian National Committee of France Hrach
Varzhapetyan told Radio Liberty that the French Senate was obviously
under the Turkish pressure. To what extent is the Turkish lobby strong
in France at present?"
"I don't think the problem was resolved thanks to the Turkish lobby's
activities, so to say. To my mind, it was the top governing circles
(the ruling administration and President Sarkozy), rather than the
Senate that submitted to Turkish pressures. I stick to this viewpoint
because I am sure that Turkey has very few, if any, tools of influence
on the French Senate."
Tert.am
From: A. Papazian