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FRENCH PARLIAMENT ADOPTS GENOCIDE BILL, DEFIES TURKISH FURY
By Clare Byrne
Monsters and Critics
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1687052.php/French-parliament-adopts-genocide-bill-defies-Turkish-fury
Jan 23 2012
Paris - France and Turkey were headed for another diplomatic showdown
Monday after the French Senate adopted a bill that makes it a crime
to deny that Armenians suffered genocide at the hands of Ottoman
Turks a century ago.
A majority of 127 senators voted in favour of the bill after more
than seven hours of intense debate. Eighty-six members voted against
and 24 votes were declared invalid.
Turkey has threatened diplomatic and economic reprisals against France
if the bill, which passed the lower house of parliament in December,
was definitively adopted.
Under the legislation, people who deny or 'outrageously minimize'
genocides recognized by France face a year's imprisonment and 45,000
euros (57,000 dollars) in fines.
After Monday's vote, France now officially recognizes two genocides:
the Nazi Holocaust of Jews during World War II and the deaths of
hundreds of thousands of Armenians in eastern Turkey between 1915
and 1917.
The country already has a law punishing Holocaust denial. The text
adopted Monday aims to extend the same sanctions to the Armenian
massacres, which a dozen countries have labelled a genocide.
Several hundred people demonstrated outside the Senate as the
sparsely-attended debate got underway.
Many senators ducked out of voting on a bill that was supported by
the main parties despite its risk to relations with a NATO ally.
A group of French protesters of Turkish origin denounced the bill as
an attempt to impose a French reading of history.
On the other side of a phalanx of riot police, a group of
Franco-Armenians demonstrated in support of the legislation. 'It's a
fact (that there was genocide). All we want is for Turkey to recognize
that,' an elderly woman told BFM TV.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday warned France
not to underestimate Turkey, saying Ankara had prepared a raft of
punitive measures.
Many Turks already feel betrayed by France because of President
Nicolas Sarkozy's firm opposition to Turkey joining the European Union.
After December's Assembly vote, Ankara had already suspended bilateral
cooperation and temporarily recalled its ambassador.
The Turkish embassy in Paris says that this time, diplomatic ties
could be downgraded, and that French firms could find themselves
frozen out of Turkish government contracts.
The French foreign ministry on Monday called for restraint and
emphasized the importance of Turkey 'as a partner and ally.'
Opening the debate in the Senate, Patrick Ollier, the minister in
charge of relations with parliament, said the bill was 'not about
stating history but about treating genocides recognized by France
equally.'
Armenians say around 1.5 million people were killed or died during
forced marches to the Syrian desert between 1915 and 1917.
Turkey estimates between 300,000 and 500,000 people died but rejects
the genocide label, saying that there was no systematic policy to
destroy the Christian Armenian community. Turkey says that many Muslim
Turks also died in the violence, which took place during World War I.
Erdogan has accused Sarkozy of using the bill, which was proposed by
a member of the ruling party, to win the support of France's small
but influential Armenian community ahead of this year's presidential
and parliamentary elections.
Before becoming president in 2007, Sarkozy - who is expected to seek
reelection in April - promised the Armenian community to push through
legislation banning genocide denial.
By Clare Byrne
Monsters and Critics
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1687052.php/French-parliament-adopts-genocide-bill-defies-Turkish-fury
Jan 23 2012
Paris - France and Turkey were headed for another diplomatic showdown
Monday after the French Senate adopted a bill that makes it a crime
to deny that Armenians suffered genocide at the hands of Ottoman
Turks a century ago.
A majority of 127 senators voted in favour of the bill after more
than seven hours of intense debate. Eighty-six members voted against
and 24 votes were declared invalid.
Turkey has threatened diplomatic and economic reprisals against France
if the bill, which passed the lower house of parliament in December,
was definitively adopted.
Under the legislation, people who deny or 'outrageously minimize'
genocides recognized by France face a year's imprisonment and 45,000
euros (57,000 dollars) in fines.
After Monday's vote, France now officially recognizes two genocides:
the Nazi Holocaust of Jews during World War II and the deaths of
hundreds of thousands of Armenians in eastern Turkey between 1915
and 1917.
The country already has a law punishing Holocaust denial. The text
adopted Monday aims to extend the same sanctions to the Armenian
massacres, which a dozen countries have labelled a genocide.
Several hundred people demonstrated outside the Senate as the
sparsely-attended debate got underway.
Many senators ducked out of voting on a bill that was supported by
the main parties despite its risk to relations with a NATO ally.
A group of French protesters of Turkish origin denounced the bill as
an attempt to impose a French reading of history.
On the other side of a phalanx of riot police, a group of
Franco-Armenians demonstrated in support of the legislation. 'It's a
fact (that there was genocide). All we want is for Turkey to recognize
that,' an elderly woman told BFM TV.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday warned France
not to underestimate Turkey, saying Ankara had prepared a raft of
punitive measures.
Many Turks already feel betrayed by France because of President
Nicolas Sarkozy's firm opposition to Turkey joining the European Union.
After December's Assembly vote, Ankara had already suspended bilateral
cooperation and temporarily recalled its ambassador.
The Turkish embassy in Paris says that this time, diplomatic ties
could be downgraded, and that French firms could find themselves
frozen out of Turkish government contracts.
The French foreign ministry on Monday called for restraint and
emphasized the importance of Turkey 'as a partner and ally.'
Opening the debate in the Senate, Patrick Ollier, the minister in
charge of relations with parliament, said the bill was 'not about
stating history but about treating genocides recognized by France
equally.'
Armenians say around 1.5 million people were killed or died during
forced marches to the Syrian desert between 1915 and 1917.
Turkey estimates between 300,000 and 500,000 people died but rejects
the genocide label, saying that there was no systematic policy to
destroy the Christian Armenian community. Turkey says that many Muslim
Turks also died in the violence, which took place during World War I.
Erdogan has accused Sarkozy of using the bill, which was proposed by
a member of the ruling party, to win the support of France's small
but influential Armenian community ahead of this year's presidential
and parliamentary elections.
Before becoming president in 2007, Sarkozy - who is expected to seek
reelection in April - promised the Armenian community to push through
legislation banning genocide denial.