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ANKARA: Ankara Urges Paris Not To Take Dangerous Step

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  • ANKARA: Ankara Urges Paris Not To Take Dangerous Step

    ANKARA URGES PARIS NOT TO TAKE DANGEROUS STEP

    Hurriyet Daily News
    Jan 11 2012
    Turkey

    Turkey called on France yesterday to refrain from taking a dangerous
    step in a fresh warning ahead of a vote at the French Senate on the
    bill outlawing the denial of Armenian "genocide."

    "I hope France will not take a dangerous step," said Foreign Minister
    Ahmet Davutoglu to a group of reporters at Parliament. The French
    Senate is set to discuss Jan. 23 the bill which was earlier approved by
    French Parliament. The Senate will either drop the bill from the agenda
    or will pave the way for a vote before its recess in late February.

    The Turkish government has launched fresh efforts to kill the bill
    at the Senate as in 2006. Turkish Ambassador Tahsin Burcuoglu was
    recalled for consultations after the initial approval of the bill,
    which stipulates a one year jail sentence and a 45,000 euro fine for
    those who deny the 1915 events amounted to genocide.

    Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the government will
    communicate with French investors based in Turkey to discuss ways to
    stop the process in France. In addition to eight sanctions Turkey has
    imposed against France, Turkey is planning to issue more measures,
    including economic and trade measures.

    The government and Foreign Ministry will increase their pressure on the
    French government to kill the bill at Senate. However, it is believed
    the bill will much more likely be approved by the Senate this time as
    both the ruling and oppositional parties cannot dare oppose the bill.

    In the meantime, the Ankara Municipality's assembly has approved a
    proposal to rename Paris Street, where the French Embassy is located,
    to Algeria Street. It will also rename De Gaulle Street after an
    Algerian national hero and erect a monument dedicated to the Algerian
    "genocide" near the French Embassy.

    Erdogan yesterday responded to a recent warning from the Algerian
    prime minister that Turkey should not use the French colonial era
    of Algeria as political capital. Erdogan said he has no intention
    of launching a polemic with the Algerian government. "The Algerian
    people know very well what Turkey means. And the Algerian opposition
    expressed this very well. What is appropriate for a government is to
    listen to its people's sentiments."


    From: Baghdasarian
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