HILDA TCHOBOYAN: TURKEY HAS ALREADY DECIDED TO YIELD
Marlena Hovsepyan

Public Radio, Armenia
Oct 14 2006

Armenian, French and Turkish press is still flooded with intensive
discussions of the bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian
Genocide. As it could be expected, the anti-French hysteria in Turkey
reached its peak: if preceding the adoption of the bill Turkish
authorities were threatening a powerful state like France, then today
they are presenting accusations. EU officials have also made France
a target for criticism.

Head of the Armenian European Federation Hilda Tchoboyan told
"Radiolur" that the moods of the French society are also diverse. She
says that the reaction to the adoption of the bill is not positive
because of several reasons: Turkish pressure has exerted its influence
on the opinion of press and intellectuals. Besides, French historians
have negative opinion about other laws, which, according to them,
restrict freedom of speech.

According to Hilda Tchooyan, the process of international recognition
of the Armenian Genocide is a long one When will the bill be discussed
in the Senate? When can we anticipate the final ratification of the
document? The answers to the questions, according to Hilda Tchoboyan,
are indefinite: up until now no political force has undertaken the
responsibility to bring the question to the upper chamber of the
Parliament.

"In the light of the fact that the Government is against, the
discussion of the question may be prolonged, since in case it is
legally affirmed, it will turn into state policy," she noted.

Another question is whether the bill will gain the force of law.

As far as the question of Turkey’s accession to the EU is on the
agenda, discussions of the Armenian Genocide are inevitable.

According to Mrs. Tchoboyan while the Turkish Government has turned
its communities into tools for denying the Armenian Genocide, bills
like this will be on the agenda and the Genocide issue will be voiced.

"What gives publicity to the Genocide issue is the denialist policy
of Turkey," Head of the European Armenian Federation considers.

Mrs. Tchoboyan considers that all those countries, which try to
exert pressure on a big state like France, thus commit a suicide. She
believes that Turkey is starting to realize this.

According to Mrs. Tchoboyan’s information, Turkey has already decided
to yield.