Zaman Online, Turkey
May 14 2006

French Tension High Ahead of Armenian Bill
By Cihan News Agency
Published: Sunday, May 14, 2006
zaman.com

Tension in France has been rising ahead of French parliamentary
resolution which criminalizes denial of so-called Armenian genocide,
as Turkish and Armenian organizations are set to hold demonstration
before parliament on May 18 when the bill will be voted.

A group of Armenians sneaked into the congress of ruling Union for
Populist Movement (UMP) in Paris on Sunday, protesting against the
rejection of similar resolution at the French National Assembly
Judiciary Affairs Commission.

The protest of the Armenian Collectif Van group at the UMP congress
was blocked by the security forces. The group members chanted slogans
against Turkey.

The draft bill to be voted in the French parliament on May 18 brings
in up to a year of imprisonment and a fine of up to 45,000 for those
who deny the “Armenian genocide”.

The fate of the Armenians under the Ottoman Empire during WW1 is a
sensitive issue in Turkey. Armenians claim that over 1 million
Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire were killed as part of an
campaign during World War I.

Turkey rejects the allegations saying that 200,000 Armenians died
during forced migrations due to cold weather and bad transportation
conditions. Turkish historians argue that same numbers of Turkish
citizens were killed by the Armenian gangs.