Turkish Delegation Fails To Meet With Supporters Of Bill On Punishme

TURKISH DELEGATION FAILS TO MEET WITH SUPPORTERS OF BILL ON PUNISHMENT FOR DENYING GENOCIDE IN PARIS

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 5 2006

ANKARA, OCTOBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA President
Robert Kocharian is not for ratification in France of the bill on
punishment for denying the Armenian Genocide. This was reported by
the Zaman Turkish newspaper, according to which the members of the
Turkish parliament’s delegation having left for Paris for establishing
contacts for preventing ratification of the above mentioned bill were,
allegedly, informed from French political scientists that President
Kocharian told French President Chirac in Yerevan that he is not
for ratification of this bill, as at the moment this will do harm
relations between Armenia and Turkey.

But, against this, according to Marmara’s report, the parliamentary
delegation returned from Paris without any expected results. The
delegation members failed to meet in Paris with the deputies of the
Socialist Party who support the bill.

It is also reported that Nicola Sarkozy, French Minister of Internal
Affairs, has started a movement against the bill after his talk with
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan. In the coming days Sarkozy should
answer Prime Minister Erdogan with a letter. And the official Paris
informed the Turkish Ambassador in France with a letter that no change
has been made in the policy of France.