Turkish State Minister Warned EU Not to Meddle in Turkish-Armenian Relations

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.10.2006 17:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish State Minister Abdullatif Sener yesterday
warned the European Union not to meddle in Turkish-Armenian bilateral
relations. "French President Jacques Chirac said that recognition
of the Armenian Genocide should be a precondition to Turkey’s
EU membership. An Armenian bill is being discussed in the French
Parliament introducing fines and prison terms for those who deny the
Armenian Genocide. It is not possible to accept such an attitude. This
is against the cultural atmosphere the EU is trying to create," Sener
said. Stressing that Armenia is not a European and a third party for
the EU, Sener said "it is meaningless to bring this matter up as part
of Turkey’s EU membership process." The Turkish State minister went
on with his warning, saying, "Whether it is an EU member or another
country, everybody who is trying to influence Armenia’s policy from
the outside should give up their endeavors. Chirac’s remarks are
insincere," reports The New Anatolian.