FRANCE DISCUSSES CONTROVERSIAL BILL ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Euronews.net, France
May 18 2006

Voting on a controversial bill to punish anyone denying the Armenian
genocide has been postponed in the French parliament. While the speaker
said talks were delayed due to a lack of time, pro-Armenian protestors
outside parliament were angered, accusing Turkey of mounting pressure
on France.

The conservative government has said it will not support the bill after
Turkish officials warned Paris of “irreparable damage” to bilateral
relations if it passed the law. Earlier this month, Ankara recalled
its ambassador to France and a leading deputy warned of a boycott of
French goods.

Under the bill put forward by the opposition socialists, anyone
denying the Armenian genocide could be jailed for up to five years
and face a hefty fine.

Turkey denies claims that 1.5 million Armenians died in a genocide
orchestrated by Ottoman forces during World War One. Turkish
authorities claim they were victims of partisan fighting that claimed
even more Turkish lives. The debate is a thorny issue in France which
is home to around half a million Armenians.

The inauguration of a memorial to commemorate the victims of the
genocide in the city of Lyon earlier this year sparked protests by
Turkish negationists who deny it ever happened. Turkey’s continued
denial of the genocide remains one of the main obstacles to its entry
into the European Union.

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress