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  • France a target over Armenia

    The Australian
    January 2, 2012 Monday
    1 - All-round Country Edition


    France a target over Armenia

    BY: MATTHEW CAMPBELL


    DEATH threats against politicians and ``cyber attacks'' on Paris by
    Turkish nationalists have followed the introduction of a law by
    France's national assembly that would make it illegal to deny Turkey's
    genocide against Armenia in the early years of the last century.

    Valerie Boyer, an MP from President Nicolas Sarkozy's centre-right
    party, is under police protection after receiving anonymous death
    threats for proposing the genocide bill that must be approved by the
    Senate before becoming law.

    At the same time, various websites, including Ms Boyer's and that of
    the Senate, have been blocked by Turkish nationalist groups.

    An enraged Turkey withdrew its ambassador for consultations and
    announced a freeze on military co-operation with France after the
    national assembly approved the legislation last month. Ankara has
    threatened further sanctions if the French Senate approves the law,
    which would impose a one-year prison sentence and a fine of E45,000 on
    offenders. ``If the proposal becomes law, this unjust measure will be
    contested in all possible ways,'' Turkey's national security council
    said in a statement. Its Foreign Minister said the proposed law was
    ``an attack on our national dignity''.

    It is not known when the Senate will begin debate.

    A key supporter of the law is Charles Aznavour, the 87-year-old singer
    of Armenian origin who wrote to Mr Sarkozy to thank him for supporting
    the bill.

    Mr Sarkozy is in the midst of preparations for a difficult re-election
    campaign this year and pleasing Aznavour is considered a key to
    winning 500,000 French-Armenian votes and support from the singer's
    extensive, if elderly, fan base. Despite announcing a ``farewell
    tour'' in 2006, Aznavour, or ``Le Grand Charles'', is still performing
    after a career spanning seven decades.

    He enjoys the title of ``national hero'' in Armenia and in 2009 became
    the Armenian ambassador to Switzerland, where he lives. He is
    regularly rated in polls as among the most popular figures in France.

    Unpopular at home, ``Sarko'', who is trailing in the polls behind
    Francois Hollande, the Socialist candidate, has become a Turkish hate
    figure. Even before his support for the genocide bill he had incurred
    the wrath of Ankara by opposing Turkey's application for membership of
    the EU on the grounds that it was too big, too poor and too Muslim.

    Mr Sarkozy is reported to have promised Aznavour years ago to promote
    a law outlawing denial of the Armenian genocide. Aznavour reminded him
    in March.

    Alain Juppe, the Foreign Minister, is reportedly furious at seeing
    French diplomacy hijacked. ``This law will kill off dialogue with the
    Turks,'' he told Mr Sarkozy. ``We mustn't forget that the Turks have
    just ordered 100 Airbuses and there are 1000 French companies doing
    business in Turkey.''

    In a meeting with his aides, Mr Juppe was apparently less diplomatic:
    ``Intellectually, economically and diplomatically, this law is an
    unimaginable stupidity . . . all that to try and win back some
    Armenian-French votes. It's ridiculous.''

    French business leaders fear a Turkish boycott if the law is passed by
    the Senate.


    From: Baghdasarian
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