TURKEY EXPECTS FRENCH PARLIAMENT NOT TO DISCUSS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL AGAIN

Anatolia news agency
18 May 06

Ankara, 18 May: Turkey expects that French draft law which proposes
that “any denial of Armenian genocide shall be considered a crime”
will not be brought again to French National Assembly during next
legislation term and hopes that its proposal on establishment of
a joint commission to investigate the incidents in 1915 will be
supported.

Turkish Foreign Ministry released on Thursday [15 May] a statement
after French National Assembly ended its session on the mentioned
draft law without bringing it to voting today.

The statement recalled that draft law caused several discussions
in France, noting that prominent French historians reacted to the
draft law in principle, so did French Foreign Minister (Philippe
Douste-Blazy) during discussions over the bill at French National
Assembly.

“Turkey expects that the international community including France will
support the proposal it made to Armenia last year regarding creation
of a joint commission comprised of Turkish and Armenian historians
to investigate historical facts regarding 1915 incidents in detail
and disclosure of the results of this research to the world public
opinion,” it added.