FRENCH PARLIAMENT TO VOTE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE LEGISLATION
By Lisa Bryant

Voice of America
Oct 12 2006

French deputies vote Thursday on an Armenian genocide bill that has
sparked warnings of economic sanctions from Turkey and concern from
Brussels.

French president Jacques Chirac (C), his wife Bernadette (white
coat)stand in front of the Memorial to the Armenian Genocide, September
30, 2006 in Yerevan The draft legislation would make it a crime to
deny that Armenians were victims of genocide in Turkey during World
War I. Armenians claim that up to 1.5 million of them were victims
of orchestrated killings by Turkey between 1915 and 1917.

In 2001, France passed a bill recognizing the killings as a genocide.

But Armenians living in France – including this regional representative
– say that is not enough.

Speaking on French radio recently, the representative said French
Armenians have been fighting since 2001 to improve the law to sanction
those who deny the Armenian genocide. He accused Turkey of mounting
a large campaign against the issue, as part of its efforts to join
the European Union.

Turkey is indeed displeased with the French legislation. Ankara has
threatened to block French companies from investing in Turkey, among
other economic sanctions. Ankara argues that only 300 Armenians died –
as did just as many Turks – during civil strife nearly a century ago,
when Armenians fought for independence in the eastern Anatolia region.

The French vote also poses another obstacle to Turkey’s efforts to join
the European Union. The Reuters news agency reported Monday that the
EU’s enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn warned Paris against passing
the bill.

France’s conservative government has also called the bill unecessary –
the legislation was sponsored by the opposition Socialists. It would
still have to be passed by the French Senate and approved by French
President Jacques Chirac before it becomes law.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress