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French Senate Passes 'Genocide Denial' Bill

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  • French Senate Passes 'Genocide Denial' Bill

    FRENCH SENATE PASSES 'GENOCIDE DENIAL' BILL

    http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/81ac7aa2-45eb-11e1-9592-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1kK1
    January 23, 2012 10:05 pm

    By Hugh Carnegy in Paris and Daniel Dombey in Istanbul

    France was braced for a new round of reprisals by Turkey after the
    upper house of parliament voted on Monday night in favour of a law
    making a crime to deny that the mass killing of Armenians in 1915
    was genocide, similar to denial of the Nazi holocaust.

    Ankara reacted furiously to the law when it was passed by the National
    Assembly, the lower house, in December, withdrawing its ambassador
    from Paris and freezing military and political co-operation with its
    Nato ally.

    The Senate vote ensured that the legislation, which includes up to a
    year in prison and a ~@45,000 fine for those found guilty, can enter
    into force.

    "Our society should take action against negationists," said Patrick
    Ollier, minster for parliamentary relations, when he opened the debate
    in the Senate, which passed the law by 127 votes to 86.

    Turkey vehemently denies that the massacre of Armenians, in what was
    then the eastern frontiers of the crumbling Ottoman Empire, amounted
    to a genocide.

    It has threatened "permanent sanctions" against France in response
    to the genocide bill, even though Ankara, which has a customs union
    with the EU, cannot block imports of French goods. There have been
    suggestions that French companies will lose out in important new
    contract bids, such as for nuclear energy development and work on
    the Nabucco gas pipeline project.

    Laurent Bili, French ambassador, complained to the Turkish press
    over the weekend that Turkish authorities had already subjected the
    embassy-owned Charles de Gaulle school in Ankara to tax inspections.

    Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's prime minister, said ahead of the
    vote that he might never return to France if the legislation was
    passed. He described the bill as "entirely against freedom of thought"
    and "mere electioneering".

    Mr Erdogan's government, which has grown in confidence on the world
    stage, has brushed aside a letter sent last week by Nicolas Sarkozy,
    French president, that argued the measure was aimed at no particular
    state.

    Mr Sarkozy and Francois Hollande, the main opposition Socialist
    challenger in the coming presidential election, have both backed
    the law. They have been accused by Turkish protesters of doing so to
    court votes from France's 500,000-strong Armenian community.

    But Alain Juppe, the foreign minister, has stated his opposition,
    calling it unnecessary. France already has a law passed in 2001
    proclaiming the Armenian killings as genocide.

    In a sign that a rift with Paris could affect wider ties with the EU,
    Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey foreign minister, stayed away from a Brussels
    meeting on Syria with the bloc's foreign ministers on Monday, to work
    on the Turkish response to the Senate vote.

    Some EU officials are privately aghast at a dispute they fear could
    further rock the already troubled relationship with Brussels at a
    time when co-operation with Turkey on the Middle East is at a premium.
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    http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/81ac7aa2-45eb-11e1-9592-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1kK=
    107byo

    January 23, 2012 10:05 pm
    French Senate passes =91genocide denial=92 bill

    By Hugh Carnegy in Paris and Daniel Dombey in Istanbul

    France was braced for a new round of reprisals by Turkey after the upper
    house of parliament voted on Monday night in favour of a law making a crime
    to deny that the mass killing of Armenians in 1915 was genocide, similar to
    denial of the Nazi holocaust.

    Ankara reacted furiously to the law
    when
    it was passed by the National Assembly, the lower house, in December,
    withdrawing its ambassador from Paris and freezing military and political
    co-operation with its Nato ally.
    The Senate vote ensured that the legislation, which includes up to a year
    in prison and a =8045,000 fine for those found guilty, can enter into force=
    .

    =93Our society should take action against negationists,=94 said Patrick Oll=
    ier,
    minster for parliamentary relations, when he opened the debate in the
    Senate, which passed the law by 127 votes to 86.

    Turkey vehemently denies that the massacre of Armenians, in what was then
    the eastern frontiers of the crumbling Ottoman Empire, amounted to a
    genocide.

    It has threatened =93permanent sanctions=94 against France in response to t=
    he
    genocide bill, even though Ankara, which has a customs union with the EU,
    cannot block imports of French goods. There have been suggestions that
    French companies will lose out in important new contract bids, such as for
    nuclear energy development and work on the Nabucco gas pipeline project.

    Laurent Bili, French ambassador, complained to the Turkish press over the
    weekend that Turkish authorities had already subjected the embassy-owned
    Charles de Gaulle school in Ankara to tax inspections.

    Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey=92s prime minister, said ahead of the vote tha=
    t
    he might never return to France if the legislation was passed. He described
    the bill as =93entirely against freedom of thought=94 and =93mere electione=
    ering=94.

    Mr Erdogan=92s government, which has grown in confidence on the world
    stage,
    has brushed aside a letter sent last week by Nicolas Sarkozy, French
    president, that argued the measure was aimed at no particular state.

    Mr Sarkozy and Fran=E7ois Hollande, the main opposition Socialist challenge=
    r
    in the coming presidential election, have both backed the law. They have
    been accused by Turkish protesters of doing so to court votes from France=
    =92s
    500,000-strong Armenian community.

    But Alain Jupp=E9, the foreign minister, has stated his opposition, calling
    it unnecessary. France already has a law passed in 2001 proclaiming the
    Armenian killings as genocide.

    In a sign that a rift with Paris could affect wider ties with the EU, Ahmet
    Davutoglu, Turkey foreign minister, stayed away from a Brussels meeting on
    Syria with the bloc=92s foreign ministers on Monday, to work on the Turkish
    response to the Senate vote.

    Some EU officials are privately aghast at a dispute they fear could further
    rock the already troubled relationship with Brussels at a time when
    co-operation with Turkey on the Middle East is at a premium.

    --f46d044784977b539e04b73948bb
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    .
    =A0
    http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/81ac7aa2-45eb-11e1-9592-00=
    144feabdc0.html#ixzz1kK107byo




    Januar=
    y 23, 2012 10:05 pm
    French Senate passes =91genocide denial=92 bill
    By Hugh Carnegy in Paris and Daniel Dombey in Is=
    tanbul






    France was braced for a new round of reprisals by Turkey after the upper=
    house of parliament voted on Monday night in favour of a law making a crim=
    e to deny that the mass killing of Armenians in 1915 was genocide, similar =
    to denial of the Nazi holocaust.

    Ankara reacted furiously to the law when it was passed by t=
    he National Assembly, the lower house, in December, withdrawing its ambassa=
    dor from Paris and freezing military and political co-operation with its Na=
    to ally.

    The Senate vote ensured that the legislation, =
    which includes up to a year in prison and a =8045,000 fine for those found =
    guilty, can enter into force.
    =93Our society should take action against negationists,=94 said Patrick =
    Ollier, minster for parliamentary relations, when he opened the debate in t=
    he Senate, which passed the law by 127 votes to 86.
    Turkey vehemently denies that the massacre of Armenians, in what was the=
    n the eastern frontiers of the crumbling Ottoman Empire, amounted to a geno=
    cide.
    It has threatened =93permanent sanctions=94 against France in response t=
    o the genocide bill, even though Ankara, which has a customs union with the=
    EU, cannot block imports of French goods. There have been suggestions that=
    French companies will lose out in important new contract bids, such as for=
    nuclear energy development and work on the Nabucco gas pipeline project.

    Laurent Bili, French ambassador, complained to the Turkish press over th=
    e weekend that Turkish authorities had already subjected the embassy-owned =
    Charles de Gaulle school in Ankara to tax inspections.
    Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey=92s prime minister, said ahead of the vote =
    that he might never return to France if the legislation was passed. He desc=
    ribed the bill as =93entirely against freedom of thought=94 and =93mere ele=
    ctioneering=94.

    Mr Erdogan=92s government, which has grown in confidence on the world stage,=
    has brushed aside a letter sent last week by Nicolas Sarkozy, French presi=
    dent, that argued the measure was aimed at no particular state.

    Mr Sarkozy and Fran=E7ois Hollande, the main opposition Socialist challe=
    nger in the coming presidential election, have both backed the law. They ha=
    ve been accused by Turkish protesters of doing so to court votes from Franc=
    e=92s 500,000-strong Armenian community.

    But Alain Jupp=E9, the foreign minister, has stated his opposition, call=
    ing it unnecessary. France already has a law passed in 2001 proclaiming the=
    Armenian killings as genocide.
    In a sign that a rift with Paris could affect wider ties with the EU, Ah=
    met Davutoglu, Turkey foreign minister, stayed away from a Brussels meeting=
    on Syria with the bloc=92s foreign ministers on Monday, to work on the Tur=
    kish response to the Senate vote.

    Some EU officials are privately aghast at a dispute they fear could furt=
    her rock the already troubled relationship with Brussels at a time when co-=
    operation with Turkey on the Middle East is at a premium.


    --f46d044784977b539e04b73948bb--

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