TURKISH MP SUBMITS BILL ON FRENCH GENOCIDE OF ALGERIAN PEOPLE

Anatolia news agency
18 May 2006

Ankara, 18 May: Mahmut Kocak, a Justice and Development Party (AKP)
parliamentarian, has presented a draft law to Turkish parliamentary
Speaker’s office on Thursday [18 May] on genocide against Algerian
people.

The draft resolution proposes that the acts carried out by French
troops in Algeria shall be accepted as “genocide” and asks that 8
May shall be declared as “commemoration day of Algerian genocide”.

The draft law also proposes that any denial of “this genocide” shall
be considered as a crime.

The draft law describes the inhumane acts which France did in several
Algerian cities on 8 May 1945 as “genocide”.

The draft resolution asks for punishment of individuals who reject
“genocide” in Algeria, with imprisonment terms and fine.

Kocak told a news conference that reciprocity principle was valid
in international relations, stating that the draft resolution was
prepared to “retaliate” [against] French proposal.

He said Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika also had a request
in this direction.

Last week, Motherland Party (Anavatan) parliamentarian Ibrahim
Ozdogan prepared a draft law envisaging three years of imprisonment
for individuals who make claims of Armenian genocide.

The draft requests imprisonment terms up to three years for individuals
who allege (through article, picture or cartoon) that Turks committed
genocide against Armenians.

French parliament ended Thursday’s session on a draft law which
proposes “any denial of Armenian genocide to be considered a crime”
without bringing it to voting.

French parliament sources said that a possible voting on the draft
law would not be held until new legislation term began in October.