ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: TURKEY THREATENS FRANCE WITH SANCTIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.05.2006 14:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated official
Ankara may apply trade and other sanctions against France, if the
French Parliament adopts a law, providing for penalty for denial of
the Armenian Genocide. Erdogan noted France’s bill to criminalize
denial of the Armenian Genocide is related to its domestic political
issues. Erdogan said he met with representatives of French companies
operating in Turkey and added that they are also worried over the
current situation. Emphasizing that French President Jacques Chirac
also voiced his discomfort over the bill during their conversation
in Vienna, Erdogan said: “Chirac wants that the bill be decided by
the lower wing and should not be carried to Parliament. He said the
agenda of the French Parliament was already too busy.”

“Our patience continues up to a certain point. We want to reach an
agreement and we will continue to act with patience, but I don’t know
what will happen if this process in France continues. We are not in
the position of hostility; however, we can apply our own sanctions,”
Erdogan said. He said that a country that has considerable investments
in Turkey will of course be negatively affected with this kind of a
situation, reports the Zaman newspaper.

Discussion of the bill, which provides for a fine of 45 thousand
euros or imprisonment of 5 years for denial of the Armenian Genocide,
is planned May 18.