EU PARLIAMENT WITHDREW PARAGRAPH RELATING TURKEY`S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE – PRE-CONDITION FOR TURKEY TO JOIN EU

TREND, Azerbaijan
Sept 28 2006

Yesterday, EU Parliament adopted a report on Turkey. Notably a
paragraph of Turkey`s acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide of
1915 had been a pre-condition for Turkey to join EU, Trend reports
referring to REGNUM.

Instead of that, the report being adopted by the EU Parliament includes
a call to Turkey to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide.

"The Parliament again confirms its call to Turkey to acknowledge the
Armenian Genocide like its previous resolutions did". At the same
time, the resolution adopted in September 2005 said that Turkey`s
acknowledgement of the genocide is a pre-condition for the Country
to join the EU. "The EU Parliament urges Turkey to acknowledge the
Armenian Genocide, and considers that as a pre-condition for Turkey’s
membership into the EU".

At the same time, speaking in the name of the EU Executive Body
yesterday, Luis Michelle, EU Commission Commissar, told members
of the EU Parliament that the Genocide acknowledgement issue as a
pre-condition for Turkey to join the EU will become "changing the
rules during play".

The report adopted yesterday is not of an obligatory nature.

However, it is very critical, and blames Turkey in its non-compliance
with the promise the Country gave the EU. "The EU Parliament expresses
its shame that the process of reforms has slowed", the report tells. EU
Parliament stresses that 11 months after the beginning of the process
on Turkey`s membership into the EU, "unsatisfactory progress" on the
freedom of word, religious, and national minorities, women`s right
has been fixed, Radio Free Europe/Liberty reports.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress