Journal of Turkish Weekly
Oct 14 2006

EU: The French Armenian Bill Would Prohibit Dialogue

Saturday , 14 October 2006

* The EU says the French Armenian bill would damage the relations
between Turkey and Armenia and Turkey and EU

The European Union said French parliament approval on Thursday of a
bill making it a crime to reject the Armenian accusations against the
Turkish people about the 1915 communal clashes could harm efforts to
end decades of dispute over the killings. Armenians name the 1915
Events `genocide’ while the Turks accuse the Armenians of massacring
520,000 Turkish civilian people.

A European Commission spokeswoman noted the bill still needed upper
house approval and said EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn had
repeatedly warned in recent days it would damage efforts in Turkey
and Armenia to resolve the dispute. Turkish prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan had called Armenia to set up a joint commission to
solve the historical disputes. Yet Yerevan Government rejected the
offer claiming there was nothing to be discussed.

"Should this law enter into force … it would prohibit dialogue
which is necessary for reconciliation on the issue," spokeswoman
Krisztina Nagy told a regular news conference.

Asked whether the bill could add a stumbling block to difficult
accession talks with Ankara opened just over a year ago, she noted
recognition of the 1915 killings as a `genocide’ was not a
precondition for accession.

"It is not up to law to write history. Historians need to have
debate," she said.