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TURKEY WARNS FRANCE AS GENOCIDE LAW IS PASSED
Scott Sayare and Sebnem Arsu
Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/world/turkey-warns-france-as-genocide-law-is-passed-20120124-1qfmg.html
Jan 25 2012
RELATIONS between France and Turkey have hit a new low as the French
Senate approved a bill making it a crime to deny the 1915 killings
of Armenians as genocide.
Turkey's Prime Minister, anticipating the bill's passage, called the
move "incomprehensible" and pledged to "take steps".
Turkey has already suspended military co-operation, bilateral political
agreement and economic contracts with France, and on Monday raised
the possibility of withdrawing support for Euronews, an international
news network based in France, in which Turkey's radio and television
network holds a 15.5 per cent stake.
After lengthy debate, the Senate voted 127 to 86 in favour of the
legislation, as hundreds of Turks and Armenians demonstrated outside.
If signed into law by President Nicolas Sarkozy, the legislation would
call for up to one year in prison and a fine of ~@45,000 ($A55,435)
for those who deny an officially recognised genocide.
The bill does not specifically refer to the estimated 1.5 million
Armenians slaughtered under the Ottoman Turks, but France recognises
only those deaths and the Holocaust as genocides and already
specifically bans Holocaust denial.
In Turkey, public affirmation of the Armenian genocide is a crime, on
the premise it is an insult to Turkish identity. In March, writer Orhan
Pamuk was fined $US3670 ($A3492) by a Turkish court for his statement
that Turkey had killed "30,000 Kurds and 1 million Armenians".
Turkey's Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, warned of "permanent
sanctions" if the bill passed.
Scott Sayare and Sebnem Arsu
Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/world/turkey-warns-france-as-genocide-law-is-passed-20120124-1qfmg.html
Jan 25 2012
RELATIONS between France and Turkey have hit a new low as the French
Senate approved a bill making it a crime to deny the 1915 killings
of Armenians as genocide.
Turkey's Prime Minister, anticipating the bill's passage, called the
move "incomprehensible" and pledged to "take steps".
Turkey has already suspended military co-operation, bilateral political
agreement and economic contracts with France, and on Monday raised
the possibility of withdrawing support for Euronews, an international
news network based in France, in which Turkey's radio and television
network holds a 15.5 per cent stake.
After lengthy debate, the Senate voted 127 to 86 in favour of the
legislation, as hundreds of Turks and Armenians demonstrated outside.
If signed into law by President Nicolas Sarkozy, the legislation would
call for up to one year in prison and a fine of ~@45,000 ($A55,435)
for those who deny an officially recognised genocide.
The bill does not specifically refer to the estimated 1.5 million
Armenians slaughtered under the Ottoman Turks, but France recognises
only those deaths and the Holocaust as genocides and already
specifically bans Holocaust denial.
In Turkey, public affirmation of the Armenian genocide is a crime, on
the premise it is an insult to Turkish identity. In March, writer Orhan
Pamuk was fined $US3670 ($A3492) by a Turkish court for his statement
that Turkey had killed "30,000 Kurds and 1 million Armenians".
Turkey's Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, warned of "permanent
sanctions" if the bill passed.