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ANKARA: Turkish Parliament Speaker Urges French Deputies

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  • ANKARA: Turkish Parliament Speaker Urges French Deputies

    TURKISH PARLIAMENT SPEAKER URGES FRENCH DEPUTIES

    The New Anatolian, Turkey
    May 2 2006

    Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc yesterday sent a letter to his
    French counterpart, asking him not to take sides in the controversial
    Armenian genocide matter.

    Underlining that judging history should be left to historians,
    not parliaments, Arinc said that the French bill, which stipulates
    punishing those who deny the Armenian genocide claims, is anti-freedom
    of expression and thought, referring to the leading role played by
    France in the implementation of basic human rights on the international
    stage.

    Armenian organizations in France announced last week that a bill
    stipulating prison sentences would be brought by the Socialist Party
    (PS) to the French Parliament's floor for debate on May 18. Later last
    week the bill also won the support of 100 deputies in the government,
    which increased the possibility of Parliament's approval.

    In accordance with the French Parliament's 2001 recognition of the
    Armenian genocide claims, the law could punish "genocide" deniers
    with up to a year behind bars.

    In related news, the Turkish press reported Monday an exchange of
    words between Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and his French
    counterpart Philippe Douste-Blazy on the sidelines of last week's NATO
    foreign ministers meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria. According to reports,
    Gul asked Douste-Blazy whether he would be punished for denying the
    genocide claims. "What if I or the Turkish president were to visit
    France and state 'the Armenian genocide is a lie'? What would you
    do? Would you put us in prison?" asked Gul, the press reported.
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