French Prime Minister Raffarin uses ‘Genocide’ Term
Zaman, Turkey
Dec 22 2004
French Prime Minister Jean Pierre Raffarin has followed the lead of
his Foreign Minister, Michel Barnier, in using the expression
“Armenian Genocide” publicly.
At a session organized at the French Parliament to discuss the
opening of membership negotiations between the European Union (EU)
and Turkey, Raffarin disclosed that they have prepared a law on
“Armenian Genocide” at the parliament and that the Armenian and
Kurdish issues will be raised with Turkey. Raffarin pointed out that
Turkey’s EU perspective was assigned in 1963 and that no French
administrations have considered Turkey’s EU membership as a subject
worth discussing since then. He emphasized that nothing can keep
Turkey out of Europe once Turkey fulfills all the requirements and it
will become an EU member.
12.22.2004
Ali Ihsan Aydin