FRANCE TO CONSIDER PENALTIES FOR DENYING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
May 18, 2006 Thursday 10:16 AM EST
The French parliament was Thursday set to debate a bill which would
threaten a year in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros for anyone who
“denies the existence of the genocide of Armenians in 1915.”
The bill put forward by the Socialists would complement a law passed
in 2001 which recognized the Turkish actions against Armenians in
1915 as genocide.
The bill could lead to new tension in the already problematical
relationship between Turkey and France.
Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened France with
economic sanctions if the law is passed.
According to circles close to French President Jacques Chirac, he has
appealed to the representatives to show responsibility: “The question
of the genocide of the Armenians is a delicate question and requires
balanced consideration and a sense of responsibility.”
Most Western historians term the Armenian killings genocide and say
that between 1 million and 1.5 million Armenians were killed or died
during the massacres.