‘Case against Turkey’s Paris consulate should be dropped’

Turkish Daily News
13 October 2004

ANKARA – Turkish Daily News – A French prosecutor asked a Paris
court this week to drop a case against Turkish Consulate General
diplomats filed by an Armenian lobbying group that had campaigned
for recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide, arguing that the
court did not have jurisdiction over the matter.

The group, known as the Campaign for the Recognition of the Armenian
Genocide of France, appealed to the court in July, claiming that
the denial of the so-called genocide allegations on the consulate’s
Web site was propaganda material that targetted the French public,
the Anatolia news agency reported. The group then attempted to have
the Turkish diplomats charged and the Internet site closed down.

The prosecutor, however, argued that the court should dismiss
the case since Turkish diplomats at the consulate had diplomatic
immunity. Defense lawyers for the consulate presented a similar
defense before the court at the first hearing on Monday. The trial
was postponed to mid-November.

The defense lawyers said recognition of the so-called genocide became
law in France after being approved by the French Parliament; however,
the law did not impose limitations on Turkey vis-a-vis broadcasting
its views on its own Web site.

The defense also argued the case as a matter concerning freedom of
expression and thought and said there was no legal reason to prevent
discussions of the so-called genocide.

France recognized the so-called Armenian genocide two years ago when
President Jacques Chriac approved a parliamentary resolution. Turkey
protested the move, and military projects undertaken by France were
suspended.

Relations between Turkey and France have improved considerably since
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid an official visit to Paris
earlier this week. Erdogan is expected to meet with Chrirac and German
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder later this month for the signing of an
agreement to purchase aircraft from German-French joint venture Airbus,
expected to add momentum to the betterment of Turkish-French relations.