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French Lawmakers Postpone Sensitive Debate On Armenian Killings

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  • French Lawmakers Postpone Sensitive Debate On Armenian Killings

    FRENCH LAWMAKERS POSTPONE SENSITIVE DEBATE ON ARMENIAN KILLINGS

    AP Worldstream
    May 18, 2006

    French lawmakers bowed to pressure from Turkey and postponed debate
    Thursday on a proposal that would make it a crime to deny that the
    killings of Armenians during World War I constituted genocide.

    The National Assembly put off indefinitely debate on a proposal by
    the opposition Socialists that would recognize the killings of up to
    1.5 million Armenians from 1915 to 1919 as genocide.

    Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, speaking earlier, told
    lawmakers that the proposal would be seen as "an unfriendly gesture
    by the vast majority of Turkish people."

    "We cannot accept this bill," Douste-Blazy said. "It would have serious
    political consequences, (and) weaken our influence not only in Turkey
    itself _ but also beyond the region."

    As lawmakers appeared to hesitate about the debate, dozens of members
    of Armenian groups yelled "The vote! The vote!" and pounded their
    fists for five minutes from a balcony over the Assembly floor.

    Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told French corporate
    leaders in a private meeting recently that the bill would damage
    bilateral ties.

    Armenia accuses Turkey of massacring Armenians during World War I,
    when Armenia was under the Ottoman Empire. Turkey says Armenians were
    killed in civil unrest during the collapse of the empire.

    Under the proposal, people who contest an Armenian genocide would risk
    up to a year in prison and face fines of up to A45,000 (US$57,555).

    Tension between Armenians and Turks in France increased last month,
    when a memorial in the southeast city of Lyon commemorating Armenian
    genocide was desecrated.

    Turkey has made it government policy to fight genocide assertions
    with diplomatic and economic sanctions if necessary. That stance has
    come under pressure with Turkey's campaign to join the European Union.

    In 2001, Turkey, which has no diplomatic ties with Armenia, canceled
    millions of dollars (euros) worth of defense deals with French
    companies after a law recognizing the Armenian killings as genocide
    was passed.

    Turkey also sent a parliamentary delegation to Paris while Turkish
    chambers of commerce sent letters to French counterparts warning of
    a boycott.
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