Agence France Presse
Dec 14 2004

France refers to Armenian massacre as “genocide” for first time

PARIS, Dec 14 (AFP) – The French government on Tuesday used the word
“genocide” for the first time in relation to the 1915-1917 massacre
of Armenians during the end of the Ottoman Empire, risking further
angering a Turkey already frustrated in its bid to join the European
Union.

Foreign Minister Michel Barnier told parliament that France would ask
many questions, “notably that of the Armenian genocide,” in EU-Turkey
negotiations on the membership issue.

Up to now, the French government had avoided the word “genocide”,
preferring the term “tragedy”, although the parliament voted in 2001
to qualify the events as a genocide.

Turkey, which formed the nucleus of the former Ottoman Empire, has
disputed the scale and nature of the killing of Armenians, and railed
against the term “genocide” used by surviving Armenians and their
descendants.

An estimated 1.5 million Armenians are believed to have died between
1915 and 1917 in the last years of the Ottoman empire.

Barnier, responding to an MP’s question about Turkey and its
ambitions of joining the EU, said Tuesday: “We will ask all the
questions — notably that of the Armenian genocide, notably that of
Cyprus — all through the negotiations.”

He said the bloody events “are a wound that does not heal,” and
added: “This issue is at the very heart of the European project,
which is based on reconciliation.”
From: Baghdasarian