TURKEY EXPECTS BILL NOT TO BE BROUGHT TO FRENCH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY NEXT LEGISLATION TERM

Anatolian Times, Turkey
May 22 2006

ANKARA – 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 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.