FRENCH BILL ON TURKISH GENOCIDE WOULD BLOCK EADS FROM BIG COPTER SALE

AFX International Focus
October 11, 2006 Wednesday 9:32 AM GMT

PARIS (AFX) – EADS would see its chance to sell military helicopters
worth hundreds of millions of euros to Turkey reduced to virtually
nil if French legislators approve a bill making it a crime to deny
that Turkey committed genocide against Armenians during World War I,
a source close to the matter said.

Turkey, angry at the pending bill, has denied that the massacres
were genocide. Shunning EADS would be seen as retaliation for the
bill’s passage.

EADS unit Eurocopter is one of four companies competing to supply
Turkey with 52 military helicopters in a deal that is expected to be
decided by the end of this year.

The bill is scheduled to be debated in Parliament on Thursday. It calls
for a year in prison and a 45,000-eur fine for anyone who denies that
the massacres of Armenians constituted genocide.