FRENCH SOCIALIST PARTY INSISTS ON ARMENIAN BILL
By Cihan News Agency

Zaman Online, Turkey
Sept 29 2006

French opposition Socialist Party (PS) has brought up again a
controversial draft bill, which will penalize the denial of the
so-called Armenian genocide, to the agenda of the French Parliament.

The draft bill, which will bring up to a year’s imprisonment and a
fine of up to ~@45,000 for those who deny the existence of "Armenian
genocide", will be discussed and voted in the French Parliament on
October 12, in line with a proposal by the opposition party.

In May, the French Parliament postponed the vote of the controversial
draft bill. The approval of the Senate is required for the bill to
come into force.

The French Parliament passed a bill in 2001 recognizing the mass
killing of Armenians in 1915 under the Ottoman Empire.

The fate of the Armenians under the Ottoman Empire during WW1 and
after is still a sensitive issue in Turkey.

Armenians claim that 1.5 million Armenians living in the Ottoman
Empire were killed as part of an intentional and systematic campaign
of genocide during World War I.

Turkey denies the allegations claiming that 200,000 Armenians died
during forced migrations due to cold weather and bad transportation
conditions.